A Stranger's Mystery
by LittleMissMidnight
Summary: He was forced to forget, she is forcing them to forget her. He is choosing to move on, she has no choice but to dwell in her past. Yet their hearts still beat as one. Advance, Negai and Wishful. Sequel to Mysterious Stranger. AaMayL, AaIL, IrisCilan CaIL
1. Chapter 1

Lol, a sequel? yes im just as shocked as you are. honestly _Mysterious Stranger _was never meant to have a seqel. but after a few days finishing it. i had a dream. in fact my dream was when Ashlyn and her father are talking to one another. so when i woke up i had this sudden eargernes to write a sequel. i mean i RARELY write sequels because i'm afraid they won't live up to the original, but sometimes writing sequels can't be helped. the last one i wrote i think was back in mid 2009, yes that was a very long time ago.

I really hope this fanfic comes out great and i truely do hope you will love the sequel as much you love the orignal.

And i will explain a few more things at the end of the chapter, i don't want to spoil anything from the story. =)

~midnight

**Shippings in this chapter: **None. =(

**Rating:** PG (K+)

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**A Stranger's Mystery**

_"...its what is keepings us alive."_

**Chapter One**

Here we go again.

"Now the highest mark in the class…"

That feeling of tension and fear building up inside of you.

"…just by a few points…"

Sometimes I just wished they would hurry up and call the name out.

"…is Ashlyn Ketchum!"

I quickly woke up from my sleeping state and stood up quickly, acting like I never had fallen asleep during her lecture on Pokémon types. I pushed my chair back and made my way to the front of the class. My teacher handed over my test with my mark of ninety one on it, written in a red pen marker. I smiled to the fact that I was the top of my class again. It felt great to be the best at what I loved, Pokémon. I was known to be the only daughter of Ash Ketchum, my father and a well respected Elite four member in Sinnoh. He was the fourth member of the group and was the last member of the group before Cynthia, who still remained the champion till this day.

The whole class applauded me once more and I smiled at them and right after I walked back to my seat. Gazing at the mark I hard worked so hard on to get. I really didn't like trainer school. Most of the time they would talk about the different Pokémon each region had, what all seventeen types are and which Pokémon are rare. I had already known what they were since. every year, before school started, my father and my mother would bring me to a new region and we would travel and see new Pokémon. They would also talk about the stories of their travels when they were my age. To be completely honest, their stories were much enjoyable to listen than lectures by my teacher.

I would always laugh at the story on how my father fell in love with my mother, in fact before he lost his memories at the age of ten, he already had a crush on her but my mother said he was too silly to admit to it. Also by thirteen my father became a coordinator like my mother and they travelled through the Johto region together with daddy Drew and his friends. And how they broke up and when my father was eighteen, he found out he had a daughter, which was me.

I remember meeting with my father clearly. Most children at that age of four hardly remember anything, but during that time. Everything about me changed. I remember that night I was holding my Torchic in my arms and I ran into a man, when I saw his face he looked a lot like me and when he held me in his arms on that stormy night, I could feel like I knew him for a long time, like a long lost part of me was filled. Then my mother soon told me that I had another father and few days later I asked my real father if it was wrong to have two daddies. I remember his laugh and that goofy smile my mother loved and my father told me that there was nothing wrong in having to fathers. In fact he said I was lucky to have even one. Only when I was seven did I found out that my father grew up with no dad. Now I know why he was so worried about me every time I would go out and train. He was afraid he could lose me, or my brother, Maykel.

Then when I turned five I remember all of their friends coming over. Mommy Dawny came along with this grumpy man by the name of Paul. She looked more relaxed then I lasted remember her to be. Grandpa was on crutches with Uncle Max helping him around. Aunty Mimi and Uncle Alex were having a two on two battle. I remember Aunty Mimi complaining afterwards that Uncle Alex had cheated. I just laughed at her and offered her Torchic to battle Alex again. He giggled and told me maybe next time. Lyra, Aunty Misty and Uncle pervert Gary, well that is what my father would call him was talking about gym battles and I remember hearing that Uncle Gary was now a gym leader. Also people like Kenny and this boy named Jimmy came along. Grandma was in the kitchen, busying making food and drinks for everyone. It was such a great birthday. I couldn't ask for a better birthday.

"Ashlyn!" my teacher called out angrily. Her call had woken me up and returned to my boring classroom. "Please pay more attention in class." She placed her hands on her waist.

"Yes Maim." I replied formally. I wasn't in the mood to get in trouble. Not right after getting the highest mark in the class.

"Now class." She began. Her boring dull voice started to drift me back to sleep. She pushed her glasses to the bridge of her nose. "What are the names of the Elite Four in Sinnoh and what types to they handle the best?" I suddenly felt the whole class turn their heads and attention to me. I sighed and stood up.

"Aaron is the first one and he handles bugs types with elegant force of power. Next is Bertha who loves the ground type element and uses it's to her advantage whenever she can. Next is Flint who has a fire type personality and used fire types with such force power and lastly is Ash, he master in all types and has no favorites. He changes his Pokémon every time an opponent challenges him, giving him the element of surprise in his battle. Making his opponents confused on what Pokémon he might have."

"Correct explanation Miss Ashlyn." The class applauded to my answer as I sat back down onto my seat. I soon saw my teacher's lips beginning to move but was interrupted when the bell rang. Giving excitement to all the students and rushing to get out of the room, except me. I walked up to her and yawned.

"Why do you have to make Tuesdays a theory day Aunty Mimi?" I sighed afterwards. She looked down at me.

"I have to make my students learn about Pokémon theory. Battling isn't everything."

My teacher was Mrs. Amelia Ketchum, or in class, Miss K. even I was her niece she treated me like we weren't related and I was not allowed to call her Aunty Mimi during class. She wore a long teal summer dress with a bright red ribbon wrapped around her waist. She wore red high heels with a white straw hat with a red and white poke ball design at the front. Her brown hair was longer as it reached down to her waist as she continued to write down what she had to do.

"But I already know this stuff already!" I complained as I raised my arms in the air. "Teach me something I don't know or yet tell me more stories about mother and father!"

"You sleep in my class and yet you get the highest marks in the class. You did truly get you sleeping habits from your father but your high marks; you must have got that from your mother's side." She raised the white board marker away from the board and put the lid on the tip. She placed it down and looked at me. "Now if you hurry you might be able to catch your father. I heard his coming home today."

"You sure his coming home today? He said that last week!" I complained. "I stayed up to two in the morning on a school day but he never came."

"I remember that. I could hear you snoring in my class while I was talking about the Unova region." She laughed. "That was such an interesting class." My face flushed red in embarrassment.

"Aunty Mimi!" She continued to laugh at me. "You're so mean!" I crossed my arms together and pouted. "I'm going to get Maykel, at least his nicer than you!" I stomped my way out of her class. I could hear her saying something about ten year olds getting grumpier every year.

I had calmed down and was now walking at a normal pace, looking at each window that passed me and quickly looking left and right in the room, looking for Maykel, my five year old brother. I looked at every door and read what class that room consisted of. I continued to make me way down the halls of the school. The halls of the school where wooden and painted in a light caramel colour as the doors was painted in a chocolate brown. The floors felt like they were made out of some sort of rubber or plastic since every time I pushed the soul of my boot against it quickly, it would make a squeaky sound. In front of the door were pin boards, containing information about the class and what event they would he holding. I finally reached one of the doors that held Maykel in.

I knocked on the door and waited. I tapped my feet on the ground and couldn't wait any longer and just slide the door open. I heard Maykel's teacher and him muttering in a far corner of the room. I had a fair idea that he must have got in trouble again. Maybe by sleeping in class or not paying attention. We are truly brothers and sisters. But my average day of going into the room and seeing Maykel getting lecture about his mistakes wasn't happening. He was in the corner of the room with his hands clutched together and in front of his chest, his whole body shivering in fear. His teacher, Mrs. Angie Russo was trying to introduce his first Pokémon. It was a Squirtle. Uncle Gary told me that when my father was ten he wanted to start off with a Squirtle but he had already taken it and so my father ended up with a Pikachu.

"Maykel, he won't hurt you." Angie spoke in a soft and clam manner. "He just wants to be friends with you." Maykel shook his head. He had water in his eyes and was going to cry any minute. Mrs. Angie must have heard my footsteps enter into the room as she turned towards my direction. "Ashlyn, it's so nice to see you here." She smiled. "Would you mind convincing your brother that this Squirtle won't hurt him?" She asked. "I've been trying to do everything. Even Luxray did but nothing worked. I'm afraid that it made everything worse."

My younger, Maykel didn't really like wild Pokémon or Pokémon he had never seen before. Even at home, he would only stare at mine but he would never get close to them. My mother told me that she really didn't like Pokémon at first but it was the help of my father that changed her mind on them. I asked my father that but he couldn't really remember it very well. I walked up to him and kneeled down.

"Maykel, they won't hurt you." I patted his soft short brunette hair. "Do you love your older sister?" he opened his eyes and wiped the tears from his cheeks.

He had brown eyes, just like my fathers. His hair was short, straight, and brown hair and wore a blue jumper with a sky blue hood. He had his favorite black cargo pants that were hard to get them washed since Maykel would always hide them from us. He picked up his red cap and wore it back to front. I told him that wasn't the way to wear a hat but he never listened to me. He said that father wore his cap like that when he was younger and he wanted to be just like him.

"Yes." He nodded and sniffed afterwards. "But I don't like them. Their mean." He sniffed once more.

"No they won't. If you take this Squirtle as your friend he won't hurt you." I released one of my Pokémon from their poke ball. It was my second oldest Pokémon, Pichu. He danced around a little before noticing my crying younger brother. His ears went down and walked on its four feet. Sitting next to Maykel and softly patted his thigh.

"Pi pi chu." He replied in a concerned manner. Saying that everything will be alright. Maykel stared at my Pichu patting his leg with a worried concern on its face. He stretched out his arm and touched Pichu's fur with his fingertip softly. Afterwards he patted its back with his whole hand slowly. When he found out that Pichu was no harm to him, he smiled and embraced Pichu in his arms.

"You're a life saver Ashlyn." She took a sigh of relief. "Just like your father." She handled Squirtle to Maykel. He gave Pichu to me and embraced Squirtle instead. Pichu was in my arms and listening to my conversation.

"You knew my father?" I asked. "How?"

"Back at trainer school in Sinnoh. He only stayed for a brief while though. I always hated trainer school but that year, he made it so worthwhile. When he left he inspired me to enjoy trainer school and sooner or later, I become a trainer school teacher."

"My father helped you to like school?" I poked my tongue in disgust. "The lectures are so boring. I can't stand it."

"Your aunty loves to annoy her students. But you should be glad it's now the school holidays. No trainer school for three months right?" I nodded. She chuckled. "I know how you feel." We both turned around to my brother. He was patting Squirtle's bald head.

"You have no fur. Why is that?" He asked his new water type friend.

"Squirt squirt tel!" he explained with his arms in the air. My brother titled his head on confusion.

"I don't understand. Why do you talk so funny?" I tapped him on the shoulder.

"If you share a close bond with him, you will be able to understand him." I grabbed Squirtle's poke ball from the carpet. "But daddy is coming home today. If we hurry he could be home by now."

"Daddy is coming home?" he asked in a cheerful tone as he quickly stood onto his two feet. I nodded. He danced around with a smile across his face with his new friend in his arms. "Yay, daddy is coming home!" his teacher laughed at his cuteness.

"It's so nice to see him this happy. When I started to give my students Pokémon he just freaked out." Angie asked for Squirtle's poke ball. I gave it back and he placed it in Maykel's palm. "Now use this to return Squirtle into its ball."

"But he won't fit in there." I slightly laughed at my brother's silly response. "It's better in here." He turned around to show us his lime green backpack.

"Maykel." He soon turned to face me. "Look at this." I grabbed Pichu's Pokémon from my green fanny pack and pressed the only button on the machine. It poke ball enlarged and I pressed it once more and my electric type returned to its ball for some rest. "See, they will always fit."

"But his gone! Where did he go?" I showed him Pichu's poke ball and pointed at it. "In here silly." I smiled. Maykel laughed afterwards.

"Oh yeah, daddy used them with his Pokémon too." She smiled at me, one of those goofy smiles that my mother said he had gotten from our father. He looked at Squirtle and pressed the button twice. Squirtle was engulfed by a bright red light and soon the machine sucked up all the red light into the ball. Maykel blinked a few times at the ball. "I hope his okay."

"He will be fine." I patted his head and stood onto my own two feet. "Now let's head home. Daddy is waiting for us." I grabbed Maykel's hand and we both waved back at his teacher. We walked past my class room and said our goodbyes to Aunty and saying we would see her home soon.

We walked ourselves until we reached out of the building. We both turned around and gazed at the building. It had a huge red roof with brown bricks as the walls. On those walls it had blue framed windows with at least three of them on each wall. On the door had a gold poke ball design label with the words _"Pokemon Trainer School"_ underneath it. On top of the roof stood the school bell that would always ring before school, recess and lunch and after school. I looked back at my brother. I held out another of my poke balls that contained another of my trusty pokemon.

"Ready to head home?" Maykel nodded. "Okay time to shine Venasaur!" I threw my poke ball into the air and soon released one of my father's offspring's. The red light emerged from the small red and white machine and collided with the ground and forming my grass and poison type starter, Venasaur. She roared her name out as she I released her from her ball. She turned around to face me and saw I was with my younger brother, holding me hand tightly. I had a fair idea that he still disliked Pokémon, well big giant ones which I had. I looked down on him. "She won't hurt you. She might be bigger than your Squirtle but she is just as friendly." I grinned. He smiled back at me and nodded, saying that he trusted me.

We walked up to her and I pushed Maykel onto her back and soon I followed. We soon walked down the streets of Pallet with me and Maykel riding on my Venasaur. Some people walking by was surprised seeing a Venasaur walking down the streets like that as elders smiled and waved at me as we went past. My hometown was filled with such wonderful people and none of the people living in this small town really hated each other.

We soon reached my home and I returned my Pokémon back into her ball and put the ball back into my green fanny pack. We walked up the doorstep and looked at our home, hoping that our father would come out of the doors, bursting with another of his travelling stories. Out home was small, but big enough for a family of four to live in. the roof was tinted red and the walls still had the pale sky blue colour painted on them. The windows were clean and you could clearly see the living room by looking through them. The flowers were lively and bright and shined their wonderful colours throughout out home. I soon heard the sounds of a shovel, digging up more dirt from the garden. We both knew who it was.

"Mimey!" we both cheered as we ran up to him. We hugged him tight as he did the same to us.

Mimey, or others know him as the Pokémon Mr. Mime. He wasn't much of a battler but more of a house keeper who loved to keep the house nice and clean. You could never keep him away from the garden or a broom.

"Is Dad here yet?" I asked. Mimey shook his head in response, telling me that my father had not returned yet. "I knew it." I turned, crossed my arms and pouted. "Dad lied to us again."

"I don't think so." I turned around and a smile grew onto my face.

My father had finally came back home.

"Hey there little buddy." My father carried Maykel in his arms as I went to greet Raichu. "Long time no see eh?" he smiled as he patted Maykel's straight short brown hair. "Miss me?"

"Oh course daddy!" He smiled. "You ask silly questions sometimes daddy." My father laughed.

"Yes, silly me." He placed Maykel to the ground as Maykel went to shake hands with Raichu, which surprised my father. "Maykel likes Pokémon now?" He asked me.

"Well a little. He likes small and cute Pokémon but he doesn't like big Pokémon like my Venasaur." I went to hug my father. "I missed you." I looked up to him. "What took you so long to come back home?"

"A challenger wanted to verse me all of a sudden." He kneeled down to my height. "Sorry about that." He placed his hands on my shoulder. "It won't happen again."

My father was now twenty three years old and most of his friends were that age as well, expect Uncle Max who was around twenty one. When my father returned home everyone in the town would get super excited and visit us at home a lot. Children around my age come to see him and battle him but father always wins against them. Dad has been part of the Elite four in Sinnoh for five years now and everyone who lived in Sinnoh knew his name. Every time I would look at my ten year old version father in his photos, the way he dressed looked different to what he wore right now. A long black leather coat that reached up to his knees and all of the buttons weren't buttoned up. He had a simple white T-shirt underneath with sky blue cargo pants. He also didn't wear his red cap like he use to and his black raven hair was still the same I saw in the photos.

"Good." I placed my hands on my waist proudly. "Me and Maykel and hungry, cook us some food." I commanded cheekily. Maykel soon copied my actions. My father soon sighed.

"So demanding children I have." He stood up onto his two feet and smiled. "But you're my children, you must have gotten it from me and you're…" my father's smiling face soon turned gloomy as he turned around and face to door and sighed. "Anyway." He brought back the cheerful tone in his voice. "What do you want? Ramen?"

"Yes please!" My brother cheered as my father unlocked the door and Maykel went rushing into the house. I stared at my father and watched him about to enter into the house until he looked over his shoulder and looked back at me.

"What's wrong Ashlyn?" my father asked. He normally called me LynLyn, he only called me by my real name when he worried or angry at me.

"Do you think not talking about mother is holding us back? I mean do you think it's what blocking us from living the way we want?" I asked. My father replied with silence. He soon moved his lips with his response.

"No Ashlyn, it's what is keeping us alive." He replied.

"Maybe keeping you alive father." I replied back.

"Ashlyn, not now." He sighed as he turned his back to me. "Not now please." He repeated as he entered into the house. I knew he was using the excuse of him begin tried from the travel to really escape my question.

I looked up into the sky and noticed it was getting dark. The clouds started to come in together and the winds started to pick up. The cold winter night started to haunt my home town of Pallet. A flashback of mine came back into me; it was when I was watching the news saying that it could snow this year. I had only seen snow once with my parents up at Mount Silver. I had no idea if I really wanted to see snow falling from the skies because I'm afraid it will only remind me of my mother, a woman that my heart aches for.

**End of chapter one**

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**Last minute authors notes **

Let me help you pronouce the names firstly before i continued on something else. Ashlyn = Ashlin, Maykel = Micheal. now you must be wondering, where is May? well haha, you have to read to find out. lol. im so mean. now this fanfic will include a recent new pokemon shipping, Negiashipping (AshxIris) and of course, Advanceshipping (AshxMay) i like Iris and i think Ash and Iris have a very cute chemistry together so yeah, im going to try to write some Negiashipping in this fic.

Anyway thats enough info. if you want to find out more just wait for the next chapters. hopefully they will be up maybe in a few days to two weeks. it all depends on my mood. lol.

~midnight


	2. Chapter 2

**Shippings in this chapter: **None. =(

**Rating:** PG (K+)

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**Chapter two**

It's snowing again. It hasn't snowed here since last year, the year my mother went away. I remember her saying that she would be back quick and she only had to go the shops to buy a few things. I remember waiting for her, staring through this window, waiting for her return. But she never came back home. I watched as the small white dots fell slowly to the ground, crashing into more of that soft white blanket of purity, or more known as snow. I watched and imagined that on a day like this, a shadowy figure would start to come out and form the shape of my mother. So I can run to her and hug her as tight as I can, so tight that I refused to let her go.

I was sitting on the sofa and behind it was the window I kept gazing upon. I was on my knees, facing the window with my hands tightly gripping on the head part of the couch. I never could count how long I would stare at the empty white background for. It just became a hobby of mine, something I just had to do. I looked up the clock, it was past midnight and if my father found out I was up this late, he wouldn't be very pleased with me. I soon heard the squeaky sound of one of the doors opening. My mind felt terrified that it was my father and found out I wasn't in bed. I took a sigh of relief when my eyes saw who it was.

"Uncle Alex." I greeted. "I thought you were my father for just a second ago." I sweat dropped.

"I tend to get that a lot so don't worry." He chuckled.

Uncle Alex was the battle frontier brain in Sinnoh. He was in charge in the battle tower. The battle frontier brains were a little similar to the elite four but they are more strategy wise as the elite four focused on getting stronger with power. Sometimes on TV I would watch debates on which was better. I liked both so I didn't understand why people would argue about which role was better. The battle frontier was having a renovation and plus Uncle Alex took a few months off from his job; he said that the battles were tough and he wanted a break.

He had to look more decent than his old outfit I saw in the old photos at home. He wore a black leather jacket with a red long sleeve top underneath. He wore blue demin jeans with black sneakers to match. To make sure nobody would confused him with my father Ash, he wore a red cap with the front half white. Sometimes even I got confused between him and my father. After all they had the same colour hair and eye colour. But when Uncle Alex wore the hat, it made things a little easier.

"Why are you up so late?" he asked as he took a spot next to me. "It's past midnight. You father won't be happy to see you up this late."

"Why do you think mother went missing on that day?" I turned to face him, bringing a new topic to our conversation. "Does she hate us, does she hate me?" Alex shook his head saying I was wrong.

"Of course not Ashlyn." Uncle Alex replied. I stopped gazing at the window and sat down, looking up at him. Uncle Alex was another person that didn't call me LynLyn like my father or my mother. "She loved her family so much that she wouldn't stop thinking about you guys; in fact she would talk about you guys more than coordinating."

"But why did she go away just like that?" I asked. But I had a fair idea what the answer was going to be.

"You don't remember do you?" He asked me. I shook my head saying that I didn't understand what he was on about, but I was lying. I knew exactly what happened when we found mother again. "Your mother, she's gone Ashlyn. Please try to accept that."

"No." I crossed my arms and looked away from him. "My mother isn't dead." I quickly looked back at him. "And father believes that she is alive as well!" I raised my voice slightly by accident. I covered my mouth and realized that I had just raised my voice at my uncle who was much older than I was.

"Ashlyn." I heard my father call me name from the hall way. I soon saw him emerged from the night's darkness. "Please go back to bed."

"But tell Uncle Alex that you believe mother is still alive. Please Dad!" I pled.

"Ashlyn…" He spoke underneath his breath. "…your mother…she's…gone." I knew he was lying. The look in his eyes told me a different story. I knew my father believed that my mother was still alive, it was just hard for make him say it out of his own lips.

"Father…" I felt like I was going to tear up.

My heart felt heavy and weak. Every time people would mention my mother was dead, uncontrolled water would fill up in my eyes and I would start to cry. Even my heart was strong enough to tell the world that my mother was alive; the pain of her gone for so long and the words that she's dead would always bring my down, without a doubt. Uncle Alex held me in his arms I continued to cry, crying myself to sleep…again.

* * *

The annoying sounds of the Voltrob alarm clock woke me up again. I woke up and soon discovered I was on the floor as Maykel was still in his side of the bed, looking like he had not moved since I saw him last night. Me and Maykel slept with our father in his room. He had the best air conditioning and heater in the whole of Pallet and it was just too cold to sleep in my room. He would always sleep in the middle and I was on the right while Maykel on the left. It was hard to sleep and times since he would snore from time to time, but nothing major though.

I pressed the top half of the red and white ball Pokémon and yawned. I opened the curtains wide enough to wake up my younger brother who was complaining about it was still too early to get up. I looked at the clock and noticed was just seven.

"Okay, maybe a little too early." I giggled.

I soon discovered that my father wasn't on the bed and wasn't complaining and telling me to come back to bed since it was too early to wake up. I much as I wanted to head back to bed my fall had woken me up completely. I heard muttering coming out of the room and from the kitchen. Uncle Alex or Aunty Mimi wouldn't wake up this early and dad would only be up this early if someone had called him from another region. I walked to the side table with the cordless phone was sitting at. I picked it up and covered the speaker where people would normally talk into. I didn't want my father to notice that I was listening to his conversation.

"I see then." I heard my father begin. "There is another challenger there waiting for me?"

"Yeah." Another voice began. I head no idea who it was another than it was another man talking on the other side of the conversation.

"So tell me about this person." My father began. I heard a bowl drop onto the kitchen tiles. I had a fair idea he was trying to cook breakfast again. Last time he cooked he burnt our breakfast and Aunty Mimi cooked instead.

"Well he name is Iris Lynn. From my resources she is a dragon gym leader from the Unova region. She fought the three of us while you were gone. To be honest she is tougher then the most that have challenged us here."

"Unova region eh?" I heard one of the drawers opening. "I haven't been there yet. It would be a great place to take Ashlyn and Maykel." I soon heard the sounds of a spoon colliding with the bowl.

"Let's not get sidetracked here Ash." The voice from the other end sighed.

"Sorry about that Flint." My father laughed slightly. "It's just trainer school is finished and the holidays are starting. This is my first year by me…without her…and I need to think of a place to bring my kids."

"Why don't you bring them to you battle here in Sinnoh?" Flint suggested. "I'm sure they would be hyped to see their father in action."

"Yeah good idea." My father replied. I heard him put the bowl onto a table. "But I have to make sure we don't stay at a poke center. I won't be able to sleep with everyone knocking on my door for a battle." He sighed.

"I'm sure you can think of something, after all you Ash Ketchum!" Flint rejoiced, hoping to raise my father's mood.

"Thanks Flint." I soon heard a small pause. "And Ashlyn you can drop the phone now. I know your there." My cover was busted.

"How did you know?" I asked in confusion. "I didn't say a word!"

"Easy." I heard the bedroom door open. I turned around and discovered it was my father and he was standing outside of the bedroom from half of the conversation. "I can see you with the phone next to you." He laughed afterwards. "Next time, lock the door." I heard Flint joining my father's laugh as he returned to the kitchen, trying to attempt to cook us breakfast once more. I returned the phone and sighed.

"His just too good."

* * *

I looked at myself in the long body length mirror. I had my teal mini dress on with white designed arcs and the ends. I had my white singlet underneath with my teal, white and black arm warmers on both of my arms. I had my teal hairclips on my black hair, making my piggy tails look more decent. I had my favorite brown boots with my knees high white socks. I had my green fanny pack placed firmly on my waist and my mother's green bandana wrapped around my neck.

We were heading to a new holiday and I was going to watch my father battle for the first time in a long time. I had to look good for the day. I twirled around and watched how good I looked. I'm sure my father would be pleased that I wasn't wearing my usual white vest and black skirt. He always told me that he didn't like me wearing skirts and always told me I was too long to wear something so short. Maybe wearing a mini dress would change all of that.

"You ready LynLyn?" My father asked as he entered into the room with Maykel behind him. Maykel wore a black simple T-shirt with blue jeans and he still wore his hat back to front. He threw my winter coat to me. "Wear this while we are here. While it's snowing in here its going to be sunny in Sinnoh." I nodded as my father went out in search of Maykel's winter coat.

"Lyn?" my brother asked. "Were you crying last night?" he asked.

"Of course not." I lied. I hid my lie with a simple smile. "Why would I cry for?"

"I saw water in your eyes." He pointed at me. "Daddy put you in bed and I saw water in your eyes."

"Maybe I had something in my eyes at the time." I continued to smile at him, trying to fool my younger five year old brother.

"Okay." He placed his hands against his waist. "But if you're lying I'm telling daddy." I laughed.

"Alright then." I replied as I heard my father's footsteps entering into the room.

"Found it!" my father sweat dropped. He kneeled down and put his coat onto Maykel. "A little dusty but nothing to worry about." He buttoned up all of Maykel's coat buttons and wrapped a white scarf around his neck. He soon stood up and threw my teal beanie. "Also I found this. Winter is colder in the mornings. I want you and Maykel to be as warm as possible. I don't want my kids to get sick on their holiday." He smiled.

My father was such a caring person. I heard my friends talking back at trainer school how mean and strict their fathers can be but I could never relate to them. My father was so nice and caring ,ever more than before since mother went away. He would always tell us what was right and wrong and talk about his stories from when he was young. Even though his cooking wasn't the best I still admired that he would try new things just for us. I loved my father so much.

"Alright!" I placed my beanie onto my head. "To Sinnoh!" I said enthusiastically. "To father's victory!" I raised my fist into the air.

"For daddy!" Maykel cheered and copied my actions. I could hear my father's laugh in the background.

"I'm so lucky to have children like you two." He smiled at us. Soon Maykel walked up to my father and hugged him and I soon followed. I soon felt his warm arms wrapped around me. I looked up to him.

"Were so lucky to have a dad like you." I smiled.

And does words weren't a lie as I did truly mean them, as they came from the bottom of my heart.

* * *

We were in the family van. It was red and everyone was on it. Aunty Mimi was at the back with Maykel and me while father was on the passage side while Uncle Alex was driving. There was a new built bridge leading to all the regions so that families wouldn't have to spend a huge amount on a one way trip cruise ship ticket. Aunty Mimi was correcting the last of her student's assessment tasks and Maykel was talking to his Squirtel again. I was brushing Pichu's fur as Raichu was sleeping at the back with all the luggage as Uncle Alex and my father were talking to one another.

"Iris Lynn?" my uncle asked. "I've heard about her. Apparently her dragon type Pokémon are very tough. Not much trainers are able to win the badge off her."

"I've battle many gym leaders in the last five years Alex." My father pulled out one of his poke balls from his belt. "There weren't up to the challenge. I'm still surprised their even gym leaders at all. I mean when I was younger they were just as tough as the elite four but now-"

"Ash." Alex interrupted. "I'm serious about Iris. I've battled her when I went to Unova last year. I just barely beat her. I've had never seen my Charizard getting owned like that." The car stopped at the traffic lights. "Her Haxorus is a big powerhouse in her team." The car started to move again. My father returned the poke ball back onto his belt.

"Well dragon type Pokémon is known to be very powerful. Maybe I should take my job seriously." My father put his arms behind his back and put on of his legs over the other. My uncle sweat dropped.

"You haven't been taking your job seriously for these past five years Ash?" my uncle stepped onto the breaks hard. Making me, Maykel and Aunty Mimi nearly falling our of our chairs. "Are you joking?". I could hear Aunty scream from the fall as she tried to collect all of her paper work.

"Did you really have to step on the brakes THAT hard?" my father asked. He rubbed his chest to where the seat beat was.

"Answer my question Ash Ketchum." My uncle would never say my father's surname unless he was serious.

"I did when I first started but recently, nobody has been up to the challenge lately." He sighed. "I didn't know I would work you up when I said I wasn't working so hard as an elite four member of Sinnoh." He looked away from him and to the scene outside. Uncle Alex soon started to drive again.

"You have no idea how well respected you are in Sinnoh." Alex spoke in a much calmer tone that before. "At least take that seriously." She sighed. "Anyway let's get off that topic, who are you going to use against her?"

"You just have to wait and see." He laughed.

"So your not going to tell your older brother what Pokémon your going to use against her?" He sighed once more.

"If I did that my reputation as the un-expecting trainer who is part of the elite four would go down the drain." He yawned and stretched his arms up.

"As if I'm going to tell anyone." Uncle replied.

"It's not you I'm worried about." Both boys turned around to face my Aunty. She looked up.

"What me?" she asked. "I'm not a gossiper!" she complained.

"You want a bet on that Amelia?" my father smiled cheekily as he rose up one eyebrow. My Aunty got angry quickly and stuffed her student's work into her bag.

"Your so mean big brother!" she crossed her arms and pouted. I never thought I would see a teacher at twenty one, crossing her arms and pouting. We all laughed.

I looked at my father and saw how happy he was. He seemed more clam and relaxed since the day he came back home. I knew he wasn't tried from that trip when he avoided my question. And also when I asked him if mother was still alive he avoided that question too. now that I wonder about these things now, does my father truly believe mother is still alive or does he want her to be out of our lives…for good?

**End of chapter two**

**

* * *

**

**Last minute author's notes**

*gasp* Ash doesn't want May to be part of his life anymore? OH HOW COULD YOU ASH! lol, now is the true i wonder? well i know the reason to that but sadly you don't thus making you suffer and probably hating me and my silly mysterys i add in each chapter. lol. okay now that Iris is getting a little bit of a mention here, she might meet Ash and his kids around chapter 3 or 4. but the question is now, how will she affect Ash's life? *dun dun dun* read more to find out.

until next time. =D

**~midnight**


	3. Chapter 3

This is the first and offical chapter Ash meets Iris. but don't start fangirling. its nothing major. lol.

**~midnight**

**Shippings in this chapter: **Tiny tiny tiny amount of Negaishipping or maybe none at all? =P

**Rating:** PG (K+)

* * *

**Chapter three**

We were now at the border of the Kanto region and were about to head into the Sinnoh region until the van's motor got overheated by driving so much. So Aunty decided it was a great time to have a picnic until the van got started again. There wasn't as much snow near the Kanto border but the wind around us was still a little chilly. We stopped near a forest clearing and it was a great place to train and get my mind off things. This week was the worst week in the whole year, because around this time last year something horrible happened.

Mother went missing.

We would always take a holiday around this time with her. This year was the first without her and it was tough on all of us. I looked around and saw Uncle Alex trying to fix the car with the help of his Pikachu, Aunty was cooking and Dad was nowhere to be seen. I shrugged my shoulders and went to a clearing. We were at some sort of nature reserve park and there were many families out, enjoying their holiday and time with their family. The sky was clear and the breeze laid low. We had stopped near a forest and gave me the chance to get some training down. I reached down to my fanny pack and threw a poke ball into the air.

"Time for battle Blaziken!" I commanded. The red and white ball opened wide and released a bright red light. It hit down onto the wild grass near my feet and made a shadow of my Pokémon. The red light soon flashed off and there, right in front of me stood my first Pokémon, Blaziken.

"Blaze!" He roared out with his arms in the air. The fire near his wrists and ankle lit up.

I wasn't one of those usual type of Pokémon trainer where I should have just received my very first Pokémon. I had a Torchic at the age of five and with the help of my family I was able to raise it into a Blaziken. Everyone at trainer school envy me and my Blaziken since we were such a good team together. But because of that I couldn't use him at the practical part at school since it was unfair to the other students. So I had to use Pichu or my other Pokémon that weren't really fully evolved.

"Okay!" I cheered as I raised my arms in the air. "Time to master Blaze Kick!" I added.

Blaziken and I didn't have much time to battle lately because of school and at home so we couldn't really master most of his moves yet. Blaze Kick was one of them. Also I wanted to show my father how much stronger I've become since we last battle, back then Blaziken as only a Combusken and we were easily beaten. But not this time!

"Now use Blaze Kick on that tree!" I pointed to the tree ahead of us. It had a thick trunk and was thick enough to see the marks Blaze Kick will leave and see how powerful it is now.

"Blaze!" his right leg began to burn an intense red and orange colour. He ran towards the tree and jumped up high in the air. His did a front summersault and then headed right at the middle of the tree. When his foot hit the trunk of the tree his jumped off and landed onto his two feet nicely. I looked at the tree and saw Blaziken footprint on it, the footprint was just visible to be seen. Finally Blaziken could use Blaze Kick. Even it was slightly less powerful than normal.

"Great job!" I cheered and hugged my fire type. I soon heard a scream right after. I looked back and saw what seemed to be a Pokémon. It had a dark purple body with yellow colour around the shoulders. I felt excited that I had never seen such a Pokémon before and quickly rushed into my bag and pulled out a poke ball. I was so excited I forgot to weaken it first. "Go poke ball!" I yelled. I threw the ball to the object but it didn't get engulfed by red light. Instead it just collided with it and drop to the ground. I knew straight away it wasn't a Pokémon.

"Hey!" It complained. It turned around to face me. It was a girl that looked like the same age as my father.

Her skin was darker than mine and she had long puffy violet hair that was nearly as long as her body. She had two piggy tails placed up high and was begin held by two gold hairclips. She had a yellow shirt with the collar, the ends of her sleeves and a ribbon wrapped around her waist were painted red and she wore knee high cycling shorts. She stared at my angrily with her deep auburn eyes. She had the same eye colour like father. She placed her hands on her waist and began to talk.

"Do I look like a Pokémon to you?" She complained angrily. "You immature kid!"

"Sorry!" I apologized. I clapped my hands together, looking like I was praying. "I didn't mean to!"

"Hmph." She pouted. "You kids say sorry but you don't even mean it!" she turned her back at me with her arms crossed. "I will only accept your apology if you battle me."

"What?" I felt like she was the immature child in our conversation. "A battle?" I asked. "But I said I was sorry."

"Children like you these days don't mean your words sorry. You just say it so you can get off your mistakes and then afterwards you would do it again. "She turned around to face me. "A battle will only settle this!"

"No." a firm voiced called from behind. "I will battle you." My father walked right beside him. He had a serious looked across his face. He would only use that look when I or Maykel were in trouble or anyone he cared for was. I knew it was best just to agree with him right now. "Ashlyn." I looked up at him. "Can I borrow Blaziken for awhile?" I nodded. "Thanks." He patted me on the head and smiled faintly. Then he looked back at the strange girl. "Let's make this a One on One battle."

"Agreed." She smiled. "Go Haxorus!" She threw the ball right to the ground and out came a Pokémon that I had never seen before.

It had scales all over its body. Its face, torso, its thighs and the tip of its tail was tipped black while the rest of its body was covered in darkish green-yellow scales. Nears its mouth came out two huge red and black scythe tusks. It had sharp red claws at the ends of its paws and feet and it stared at my Blaziken with its deep crimson eyes. Its arms and legs looked powerful and its scales nearly looked like strong thick metal armor. I had never seen such a highly trained Pokémon.

"So you're from Unova then?" My father asked. "So I'm guessing your Iris from the Souryuu Gym?" My father closed his eyes. "Nice to meet you Iris Llynn." My father opened his eyes again.

"Wait…your…Ash Ketchum?" She gasped. "You're my next opponent to face in the Sinnoh League." She held Haxorus's poke ball tight. "This will be interesting to see what you have."

"Let's see." He paused. "Now let's see what you got. I'm giving you the first move." He grinned. "Ladies first."

"Alright then, Haxorus use Dragon Pulse!" she cheered her Pokémon on. Her Pokémon opened its mouth wide opened and shot out a powerful purple beam attack right at my Blaziken. I looked at my father and saw he wasn't going to attack right back.

"Dodge it using Quick attack!" he raised his fist in the air. Blaziken moved just in time before the attack landed on him. When the dragon type move hit the ground it blew some dust into our direction. I had never seen such a powerful attack that was able to send wind right towards us. I covered my face but I quickly looked at father and saw he was totally not affect by it. "Now Blaze Kick!" He added. I jumped. I tugged down on father's coat.

"Dad!" I called out. He looked down at me. "Blaziken hasn't master Blaze Kick yet!" he patted my head.

"Trust me on this one okay?" he faintly smiled at me and returned his attention back to the battle. I looked back at saw Blaziken used Blaze Kick perfectly. It slightly pushed Iris's Pokémon back slightly. I never knew my Blaziken had that much power in him.

"Don't let that stop you! Dragon Dance now!" her Pokémon started to get engulfed by red and black clouds with neon blue lighting shooting out. I knew that Dragon Dance would increase a Pokémon's attack and speed, which was something I was afraid that it might ruin the battle. My father watched as Iris sent out the next attack. "Dual Chop now!" Haxorus's arms glowed an intense white and headed straight to Blaziken quite quickly and made a direct hit. Blaziken got pushed back, flipped and landed on its torso.

"Get up Blaziken!" I cried. "You can do it!" I looked at my father. He smiled at me, but I was confused why though. He soon turned back to the battle.

"Draco Meteor!" Iris commanded. Haxorus's body glow a deep orange colour and then opened its mouth wide. A small orange orb was in his mouth and then shot it out into the sky and exploded. The sound when it exploded sounded like multiple big fireworks exploding at the same time. My father embraced me when huge meteors fell from the sky from the attack and landed all over the field, mostly on my Blaziken. My father knew he could make Blaziken avoid the attack but he chose to protect me instead.

"Let's end this! Giga Impact!" Haxorus lowered its head and started to head to Blaziken's direction. A light transparent pink light surrounded him with strands of yellow as well. I looked at Blaziken and saw he couldn't get up and was about to faint. I knew my father had the same thought but the attack was getting up to Blaziken to quickly. I had to stop the attack. I pushed out of my father's arms and stood in front of my Pokémon. I didn't care if I would get hurt. My Blaziken was not up to this type of battle and was easily no match against Iris Llynn. Then just as the attack was going to land on me I felt someone blocking my way and I knew who it was. He embraced me and we both fell onto the ground, next to my Blaziken.

I opened my eyes to find out it was my father. He had taken the Giga Impact attack for me. I suddenly felt guilty about myself as I saw my father in pain. He opened his eyes and faintly smiled at me.

"You must have got that from me, willing to risk yourself just for the sake of your Pokémon." He laughed slightly but soon ended up crying in pain.

"Dad." I cried. I tried not to touch his left arm since it took most of the attack from Haxorus. "I'm so sorry!" I cried even louder. I soon heard Iris coming towards me and my father.

"I'm so sorry!" she put down her white backpack which appeared out of nowhere. She opened it up and pulled out a few herbs, a bowl and a few bottles. "I shouldn't have been so careless. Man, I'm such a child." She sighed. She looked back at my father who was still on the ground. "Can you sit up?" she asked. He nodded and sat up, but it took awhile so I helped out. I pulled off the left sleeve on my father's long black leather coat and saw the mark Haxorus gave my father by accident. It was all bruised up and there were small blue veins popping up faintly. "Let me take care of this. After all it was my fault I used such a move."

"Let me help to Miss Llynn." I asked. "If I didn't go in the way of your attack then none of this would have happen. Please let me help you to make my father better again." She nodded and I sat right next to her.

She placed a few herbs in a bowl together and mixed them up. She soon added other medicines from the bottles she had and mixed them up as well. After awhile they all formed into a lime green cream and soon she smudged some on my father's wound. I could hear him mutter a few words in pain as Iris laid the cream on his wound. A few seconds later I could hear him sigh in relief.

"That feels much better now." He grinned. "Thanks!"

"Aren't you angry at me?" She asked. "It was my fault after all." She looked down onto the ground in shame.

"Don't worry about it." My father laughed afterwards. He threw his black long leather coat over his right shoulder. "Blaming each other won't change what happened. Let's just forget about it." He offered his hand for a handshake. "Deal?"

Iris looked up and saw my father wanting a handshake from her. My father would always handshake people in most of his battle whenever he lost or won. Or when someone hurt him he would use it as a way that he had forgiven them to what they had done to him. My father was such a forgiving person.

"Deal." She accepted the handshake and smiled back. "But I promise I won't do the same thing at the battle."

"And I won't go so easy on you next time." He chuckled. "You see I was using my daughter's Pokémon. I don't want to spoil everything right now."

"I see." She started to return everything back into her white backpack. "I never knew you had children. Nobody over there talked much about your personal life."

"Well I kind of like it that way." My father sweat dropped. I soon helped him onto his two feet. I soon heard Maykel running towards us. When he saw Iris next to her huge Haxorus he stood still in fear. He started to shake to see such a huge Pokémon in his life. My father chuckled and walked up to him and carried him in his arms. "What's wrong?" He asked. Maykel pointed at Iris's Pokémon.

"Scaryyyy." He continued to shake I fear. My father laughed once more.

"There's nothing to be afraid of. Daddy's here." He grinned. As dad talked to Maykel about Pokémon Iris tapped me on the shoulder.

"I can't help but wonder but where is your mother. I mean doesn't she help you father look after you two?" She asked.

"My mother pasted away a year ago." Iris covered her mouth in shock. "This time last year in fact." I put my hands behind my back and looked at her.

"Sorry. I didn't know." She apologized.

"It's alright." I smiled. "I believe my mother is still alive though. My father thinks so too." She patted my shoulder. I looked up at her and into her eyes. She looked at me like she somehow understood what I was going through, like she has the same problem as well. I felt my mind wanted to explode and ask her but I barely knew her. My lips wanted to say the words but I was afraid what her response was going to be. She took her attention away from me and walked up to my father who still had Maykel in his arms.

"Hey there little fella." She greeted to my brother. Maykel wrapped his arms around my father and dug his face into this torso. "Don't worry. I won't bite." But Maykel didn't move. Soon she opened her white backpack and pulled out an apple. It was red and big and was really ripe. I could tell it was going to be super juicy. "You want an apple?" she asked. Maykel shifted his eyes towards Iris. He stared at her for awhile before moving his head away from my father's chest. He reached his hands out and took the apple from Iris's hands and took a small bite. Soon my brother's frown turned upside-down and he started to be that small cheerful brother I knew so well.

"Thank you!" He cheered. My father brushed Maykel's hair and put him down on the ground again. "And daddy." Maykel added. "We can go now. Uncle Alex said we can."

"Thanks. Tell him I'll be there soon." He grinned. Maykel nodded and headed out of the clearing and to where Aunty Mimi and Uncle Alex were. He looked back at Iris. "Thank you. My son has a problem with big Pokémon as your Haxorus. You see he just got to liking them. I don't want him to hate them in the long run."

"I understand." She replied. "Well then I'm off now." She returned Haxorus back to his ball and looked back at my father. "See you at the Sinnoh league Mr Ketchum?" She wink and asked in a teasing manner. It somehow annoyed me that she was talking to my father in that tone of voice.

"Yeah. See you there Miss Llynn." He smiled. Iris smiled back and waved back to my father as she took off and jumped up into a nearby tree, jumping up branch by branch. I had a fair idea she would rather walk than take some sort of machine transportation. I looked at my father; he was stilling watching her leave and turned to face me when he couldn't see her any more.

"Dad?" I asked. "Do you like Miss Llynn?" I asked in a formal manner.

"Of course not." He smiled. "I just find her interesting. That's all." He kneeled down on one knee until he was my height. "And plus she looks like a worthy opponent. I can't wait for our battle." He smiled with excitement.

"You sure that's all daddy?" I asked. He nodded and stood onto his two feet and walked back to the van. I ran up to him and held his hand. He looked down and just smiled and me faintly. I smiled back at him and just suddenly thought of that strange woman, Iris.

I felt afraid that this woman would soon fill in the gap of his heart, the gap that only belonged to my mother. That if we meet her again something bad would happen and my mother would be wiped out of our lives forever. The love that my father has for my mother will goes to her, to a woman we hardly knew. I stared at my father. I remember the stories my mother told me about how dense he would be at the game of love and that it would take something dramatic for him to admit his true feelings to a certain someone. Uncle Max told me once that my father would keep his problems to himself so that people that cared for him wouldn't have to worry about. Even though my father is happy right now I know his hiding something back.

And that's what I want to find out.

**End of chapter three. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Shippings in this chapter: **Small amount of Ikarishipping.

**Rating:** PG (K+)

* * *

**Chapter four**

"You did WHAT?" Aunty Mimi's voice echoed in the van. My father muttered in pain when she tightened the bandage she was wrapping around his bruise. My father opened one of his eyes, they had small tears in them since Aunty Mimi tightened the bandage around his arm unexpectedly. I was watching the two of them talk. I was sitting at the front, facing to them and kneeling on the chair.

"IranintoaGigaImapctattack." My father muttered quickly. I had a fair idea he was in so much pain to talk like that so quickly.

"You could of died and-" But I heard Uncle Alex interrupt.

"Amelia." He began. "Keep that up and Ash won't make it to the Sinnoh league." Uncle looked at me next. "And sit down on your chair properly Ashlyn." I nodded and sat down and clipped my seat beat back on. I could hear Aunty sighed and did the finishing touches on father's band aid. Silence filled the van until Uncle added. "So how was your little battle with Iris, Ash?"

"Awesome." I looked to the back seats and saw my father grinning. "She is going to be a great opponent to face."

"You already have a bruised arm and you still thinking about your battle against her?" Aunty complained and crossed her arms. "You shocking big brother."

"That's Ash, always looking for great rivals to verse." Uncle laughed afterwards.

"But I don't like that Iris girl though." I added. I glared at my father. "She was acting all lover-dovey to daddy." Father laughed and so did uncle.

"No she wasn't." Uncle Alex replied. "That's who she is. I battled with her last year and after the battle she was acting all playful and childish. She doesn't flirt with anyone." I looked back at the front and crossed my arms.

"I still don't like her." I grumbled. "And same goes to her Haxorus." I looked outside my window. I soon noticed something.

There was no more snow on the ground and the clouds started to break up. I knew we weren't in Kanto anymore but in Sinnoh. A smile grew on my face when I saw what neighborhood we were in. the road turned to a classic graveled road and less commercial buildings appeared. The house were more spread apart and a lot of trees started to come into my view. My smile grew bigger when I discovered where we were.

Uncle parked the car in front of the house. He pushed the gearbox to the "P" side and touched the handbrake. He pressed the button that unlocked all of the doors. When the doors where open I quickly rushed outside and opened my arms up in the air and feel onto the grass. I giggled afterwards. I was looking up at the sky and noticed how clear it was compared back home. Soon Raichu came into my view looking confused.

"Rai?" He asked. I smiled and sat up and turned to face him.

"Nothing." I grinned. "It's just nice to be here again after so long." I glanced over my shoulder to look at the huge house.

The house was huge and for one second I thought it was a classic summer home mansion. The walls were made out of timber and where painted white, the roof had tiles to teal over them and the windows were clear and clean. There were big huge trees standing up tall near the house and there were many colorful flowers surrounding the house. I soon heard a cheerful person calling out my name.

"Ashlyn!" She cheered and ran up to embrace my tightly. "I'm so happy to see you again!" My father walked up to her and poked her on the shoulder, telling her I was choking, not breathing. She sweated dropped and broke up the hug. I fell to the ground. "Sorry." She apologized.

"No need to worry Dawny." I replied. I felt quite dizzy after her strong hug.

I heard Uncle and Aunty taking down the luggage from the back of the van and walking them up to the house while Raichu helped me regain my conscience. I shook me head and saw that I was still alive and breathing. I smiled at Raichu as we walked up to the house.

We were staying at mommy Dawny's home in Twinleaf. My father didn't want the media to catch us like last time so we avoided staying overnight at any poke centers. Dawny still lived with her mother and still looked the same from last time. She still left her hair short and a simple pink top with black bootleg jeans to go with it. It made her look different to the mini dresses in her photos back when she was my age. She led us into the living room and made us sit down while she made us some food to eat. I could hear her panic in the kitchen was pots and pans fell down the kitchen floor.

"You're just hopeless in the kitchen you know." I knew who that was.

It was Paul. Dawny's husband. Although we weren't really close we still knew each other. He was one of father's rivals and father told me he was a very strong Pokémon trainer back in his day. He had a grey turtle neck top with pale cargo pants as well. In his arms was his three year old son, Daniel. Who was cheerful as his mother when he saw me and Maykel.

"I'm not hopeless!" Mommy Dawny cried out. I could hear a wooden spoon fall down to the ground.

"Oh really?" He lifted an eyebrow up. "You want me to ask them over there what they really think of you in the kitchen." Dawn glared at him, which gave some sort of sign for him not too. But I think Paul wasn't affected by her taunt. She just shrugged his shoulder and walked to us. He greeted my father first. "So you have a battle in a few days. Good luck."

"Paul, you always stay the same." My father grinned. He patted Daniel.

Daniel was three years old and had blue hair like mommy Dawny. His clothes were rather simple as he wore a blue shirt with a white design poke ball near his chest and black pants. His eyes had a small tint of blue and grey mixed up together.

"And Daniel had grown up. I wonder if he is going to be a trainer or a coordinator."My father asked as Daniel smiled at him.

"Bb…Both." He cheered and raised his arms in the air. Paul sighed.

"Why can't he just stick to one?" Daniel's father sighed. My father laughed.

"Just support him and whatever he wants to be." He looked at me. "That reminds me, Ashlyn what do you want to be after you graduate from trainer school?"

"I don't know yet Dad." I replied. "But I'll tell you when I do." He patted me.

"Take your time LynLyn." He smiled. I always liked when my father smiled. It would always make me feel safer somehow. I soon saw Paul tap my father on the shoulder and whispering a few words to him. My father replied with a simple nod before Paul walked to the kitchen, helping her from causing a massive destruction in the kitchen.

* * *

I heard the Starly alarm clock ring loudly, echoing its call over and over again and soon forcing me to wake up and head out of my comfy bed. I slowly moved to the window sill and slammed the head of the Starly hard, making it stop finally. I walked back to my bed and landed on my pillow face first. A few seconds later I tapped the left side of the bed. Normally father would be sleeping next to me. I lifted my head and turned to the left and saw he wasn't there and Maykel was the only one left in the room. I sighed and shoved my face into the pillow hoping my concern for my father would slip off but it didn't. I sat on my knees and grumbled a few words to myself and turned to face the alarm clock which had fallen down onto the carpet. The numbers glowed neon green as the two hands on the clock showed three: fifteen in the morning. I yawned.

"It's too early to wake up." I complained. I got onto my two feet and looked for my two pink slippers Mommy Dawny gave to me to borrow. I walked out of the room and down the hall until I reached the stairs. Soon a few voices entered in my ears which made me stop in my tracks. I knew who the two voices were. I kneeled down and listened to the conversation downstairs. I had a fair idea the two were talking in the living room.

"You know Ash; I knew never I would end up like you, with a child and a wife."

"Trust me; I never expected to have children of my own either." I heard my father laugh afterwards.

"But seriously, I want to ask you how are you able to be a Sinnoh Elite Four member and be a single parent to your two children. I mean one is hard enough." I heard Paul sigh.

"I don't know. I guess the past of not having a father to raise me gives me a reason to raise my children as long as I can."

"Is that the only reason Ash?" Paul asked. There was a few seconds of silence before father replied.

"No." Dad paused before adding. "May also is the other reason."

"You still think she is alive don't you?" Paul asked once more.

"Every man who has lost their life would believe their wife is alive at some point. But sooner or later they learn to move on." I could hear my father slightly sadly.

"That still doesn't answer the question that you still wear your wedding ring." Silence grew among them once more.

"It's the only thing that reminds me what and May had together. I can't let that go as well."

Soon the image of my father's wedding ring flashed into my mind. It was emerald with encrusted diamonds wrapped around in the middle. My father told me he and my mother choose emerald rings because green was the sign of ever-lasting love, love only found in heaven you can say. It was love that could never be replaced by anybody else and also emerald was the birthstone of the month May. Since my mother's name was also a name of the fifth month of the year he decided that getting an emerald ring would mean to them both even more.

"I think that ring is what's holding you back to move on in life. You can't move on if that ring is still on your finger." I could hear Paul stand from the couch. "I've had my issues as well and I knew that holding onto them won't make anything better." Then I could hear him make his way to the stairs. "I can tell you still believe she is still alive Ash. Don't try to lie to me."

"Believe what you want Paul." My father replied in a slightly annoyed manner. "But I told you what I feel about this and you just have to learn to deal with it." I felt a little surprised to hear my father talk in such a negative manner. I had never heard him talk to anyone so mean and so…careless.

Soon I could hear the footsteps of Paul walk up the stairs as I quickly got off my knees and quickly and yet quietly rush to my room. I closed the door and threw the blanket over me, while I lay on my side, facing Maykel who was still sound asleep. I could hear Paul walk into his room but father didn't come up after him. I waited for him but he just didn't come. I had a fair idea that he wanted to be alone or maybe I just fell asleep early before he could come back to bed.

* * *

"Your coming to the Sinnoh League?" I could hear my father's voice complain from downstairs. I blinked a few times and saw I was the only one left in the room. I looked down to the ground and saw the alarm clock was still on the floor. I saw it was only nine in the morning.

"Still too early to wake up." I slammed my face onto the pillow. Just I was about to return to sleep I heard someone slammed the door wide open.

"Wakie Wakie sleepy head." Dawny called out, removing the sheets off of me which annoyed me slightly. I covered my head with my pillow hoping to reduce the 'good morning' voice Dawny had in the mornings. "Come on Lyn. If you don't get up your father will leave you hear and you will miss out on his huge battle in the League."

"Not now." I grumbled. I heard someone else's footstep enter the room.

"Come-on Ashlyn." Uncle Alex asked. "Mommy Dawny is coming to. We can't keep them waiting."

"Then I will go with them, over them. Just let me sleep first." Alex sighed as Dawny giggled. I soon felt Uncle Alex pick me up from the bed and he threw me over his shoulder. I waved my arms in the air. "Get me down! This isn't fair!" Dawn continued to laugh and wave at me.

"See you there in a few days!" She added as I was carried to the car.

After that I was forced into the car by my Uncle. I saw my father talking to Paul once more. Father looked more relax and showed no signs of that angry voice I heard last night ever existed. He was laughing and smiling. My father acted strange lately and I wonder if one of those 'signs' was that angry tone he talked to Paul last night. He turned to me and waved. In which I responded with a wave as well. I was still to tried to smile so all I could was do a simple half-asleep wave.

But something in the trees woke me up completely.

It was a woman, in some sort of outfit with long rich brown hair. A smile grew on my face.

I opened the car door wide and ran up to the tree. My father and Paul were surprised to see what had given me such energy so early in the morning. I walked up the tree and looked up. She was still there.

"Mom!" I called out. "It's me, Ashlyn!" I suddenly felt my father rush up behind me. "Please come back!" I added. I felt my father wrap his arms around me which gave my attention to him. I turned to face him. He looked disappointed and sad at the same time.

"Ashlyn." He began. "Don't get your hopes up that your mother is going to come back." He looked deep into my eyes. I knew he was beginning to be serious.

"Why?" I asked. "Is it bad to believe that mother is alive?"

"I'm not saying that it's bad to believe in things, it's just I'm afraid that you will get badly hurt when you find out some things don't turn the way you want to be." He placed his hands on my shoulders.

"But you always told me that-" but I was interrupted.

"Ashlyn!" he yelled with anger, pinching my shoulders slightly in the process. His eyes were filled with anger and pain that it was too much to understand why he was feeling like that. When he saw me in pain he calmed down. "Sorry." He apologized. He soon added with a hug. "Now come-on lets head to the car." I nodded. I knew talking about mother would just make him angry again. We both walked to the car and I sat back into my seat. Me and father didn't say another word to each other as we both waited for Aunty Mimi and Uncle Alex to get into the van. As soon everyone was in the car we all said our goodbyes and waved back to everyone. Telling them that we would see them at the league soon enough. Soon the car got moving and we started to move away from the house. As the car got further away my eyes stuck on the tree where I saw mother.

She was no longer there.

I didn't know if it was really her or that my eyes were playing tricks on me since I wasn't really fully awake when I saw her But I knew in my mind, my soul and in my heart that she was real and alive.

**End of chapter four **


	5. Chapter 5

Sad chapter. god, i nearly cried. *sniff sniff* i didn't because i was writing this at school and if people found out i was crying to a pokemon fanfiction, they would go WTF?

**~midnight**

**Shippings in this chapter: **Advanceshipping

**Rating:** PG (K+)

* * *

**Chapter five**

Nightfall had already caught us when we arrived to the Sinnoh League. We were staying at the Sinnoh League apartments where only the Elite four and Champions from any region can stay, also their family can stay here as well. I was gazing out my window again and sitting on the bed with a pillow on my lap, watching the rain drops collided into the glass wall, siding downwards and leaving their water path trickling behind them. I looked at the small desk alarm clock beside me and saw it was already ten thirty, the time I would normally head into bed. I was sitting on the bed located in the middle of the room. The walls were creamy and near the edges, lines of chocolate brown wood were painted. Two dark brown side tables were beside the huge queen sized bed and the lights were placed firmly on the wall. In front of the bed was a standard clothes closet and near the door was a dressing table, with mine, Maykel's and father's objects such as credit cards and his poke balls.

"Ashlyn?" I heard a faint voice calling from the other end, knocking endlessly on the door to see if I was still awake, which I was. The door soon opened wide and footsteps soon followed. "It's time for you to head to bed now."

"I'm not tried yet." I replied. I looked down on the window and saw my father heading back from his unusually long walk. He was all soaked up and wet, I knew why he took longer to come back, but why was he acting like this? always so sad around this time of the year? I glanced over my shoulders and saw Aunty sitting right beside me. "Why does father act like this? All gloomy and sad?"

"I'm sure you know that reason to that Ashlyn." My aunty replied. "Today, last year was the night your mother past away remember?"

"I know." I watched as Uncle Alex went to greet my father and help him inside into the apartment before the media found him in such a depressing manner. "I remember it well."

* * *

_"You're lying!" I heard a high pitched irritated yell from the halls of the hospital. "That's not true!" I walked out of the prayer room and saw my Uncle holding my father away from the doctor. Aunty Mimi was right behind my father, holding him back as well. _

_"I'm sorry Mr. Ketchum but there was nothing we can do." The doctor replied formally._

_It was in the dead middle of winter in Kanto in the cold blizzard night. It was in the early of the hours of the morning when I heard my father crying out to the doctor that everything he was hearing was all a lie or more of a nightmare to him. I had just turned nine that year and my father had just returned from the Sinnoh league for a break. I walked up to him, side by side and saw he was starting to break up and cry. I had never seen my father in so much pain and feel sp helpless at the same time. _

_"Ash please relax!" Uncle Alex continued to hold Ash still. "Let's talk about this." My father quickly turned his attention to my uncle. _

_"Relax?" He asked in anger. "Relaxing won't save May's life will it?" _

_ The way my father spoke scared me. I had never seen him so anger, so frustrated and irritated at the same time. Before mother ended up in the hospital she went missing for a week before locals found here in a local park, lying unconscious on a park bench. It was hard to hear news from Sinnoh to Kanto quickly, so it took at least a week before my father knew about the state my mother was in. _

_ I was confused on why my father was so angry. We found mother at long last and she is just relaxing, after that we can go home and have her delightful roast she would make every time father would head back home, but that wasn't the case._

_"The brain trauma cells have spread all over her. Even surgery won't be able to save her. I'm sorry." The doctor replied formally. My father broke Uncle's grip on his arm and rushed to the doctor and grabbed him by his shirt. _

_"You're a doctor for a reason, your suppose to save lives! Do something!" Aunty Mimi embraced my father by the back, starting to cry._

_"Please stop this big brother!" She cried. My father let go of the doctor's shirt as the doctor took a few steps back. The doctor walked back without fear, like he understood why my father felt that way, but sadly I didn't I didn't. I walked up to my father and tugged down on his black long leather coat. He looked down at me._

_"Dad, why are you so angry?" I asked. He gazed at me blankly and walked away from me, and into mother's room. I looked up at Aunty Mimi, she was still crying. She was on her knees with her hands over her face, hiding her tears from me. "Aunty?" I asked once more. "What's happening?" she dropped her hands down and looked at me. I knew she wanted to speak but her emotions blocked her to do so. I felt my uncle's warm hands on my shoulders. I looked up to him. _

_"Ashlyn." He knelt down to my height. "It's about your mother."_

_"Is she getting better?" I asked in excitement. "Can she come back home now?" Silenced filled the hall. I heard Uncle Alex shifting his eyes left to right and sighing afterwards. He looked back at me._

_"She won't be able to come back home…again Ashlyn." I felt my guts twisting in knots. I knew something bad had happened to her but I still had my hope up and an idea that she would stay here for a few months was what he really meant. _

_"Well is she going to stay here for a few months until she gets better?"And once more, the only response I got with silence. I felt angry slightly. I clutched my fists together and bit the bottom half of my lip. "Tell me!" I yelled. "What's wrong with my mommy?" _

_"Ashlyn…" But I refused to hear any more empty lies from them and chased after my father, who I last saw entering mother's room. _

_ What I saw was truly horrifying._

_ My mother was lying on a single bed in a vertical position, the thin white blanket over her body, only reaching to her chest. Needles stuck on the top of both of her hands which lead to the two machines placed on both of her sides; beeping away endlessly. Wrapped around my mother's head were in many layers of white bandage, with spots of blood near the back of her head. Her eyes were closed and looked like she was just sleeping. And by her side sat my father, on a chair and sitting with his back facing the door. He was holding her hand tightly, not wanting to let go._

_"Dad?" He looked down at me. He tried to smile and me like he would always do when I called out his name, but that didn't work this time. "Is everything okay?" He nodded at first and gazed at my mother afterwards. He watched her sleep in such peace. Afterwards he looked back at me and replied._

_"…I don't know anymore." He cupped his hands around my mother's hand. "I just don't know how I'm going to cope when your mother goes away soon." _

_"Mother is going away again?" I asked. "But she just came back!" I felt my eyes starting to water. The idea that my mother was going away again just made my heart die. _

_"I know that." He continued to look at mother. "I wish she didn't have to go away as well." He paused and soon added. "Just when everything in our lives were going so well, she slips out of my hands again." my father closed his eyes and I began to hear soft sounds of someone weeping. It started off very faint and it just kept getting louder. Soon I saw tears running down my father's face. "Why?" He asked. "I lost her too many times before, why do I have to deal with this again?" I continued to listen to him as more tears ran down his cheeks. "I forgot about her, in order to save a friend. I met up with her again and my feelings to her came back up, we broke up and then we came back together and now, we have to break up again?" he opened up his eyes. "I can't deal with it again."_

_"Dad please." I wrapped my arms around him. "It's okay dad." He placed mother's hand down onto the mattress and turned to me, and embraced me back. _

_"You and Maykel are the only people that will remind me of your mother. I just hope I don't lose you two as well." He broke the embrace and wiped his tears away. He chuckled slightly. "I shouldn't be acting like this, crying like a child." He laughed, but his laugh wasn't as authentic like his usual ones. He laughed maybe because he wanted to cheer me up. I was just as sad as my father was and it was so hard to hold my tears in. _

_"Hey you two." A voice called from behind us. "Stop acting so dramatic." She giggled. I turned around to see it was my mother, laughing at both of us. _

_"Mom!"I cheered and embraced her. "You're awake." _

_ Even my mother was awake she was still sick. Her sick was much paler than normal and her eyelids were only half way up, they weren't fully open. Her hair was in a mess and there were many bruises and scars on her arms. She lifted her hand and placed it on my cheeks._

_"You have grown into such a beautiful girl Ashlyn." She smiled. "I'm so happy to have a daughter like you around. You always made me feel so happy." She gazed at my father. I stepped away and let my father speak with my mother. I stood by my father and watched what was happening. "Ash." She began. "I'm so happy you're here right now." She faintly smiled. _

_"Get some rest May." They held their hands together, their fingers intertwined. They were looking dead straight into each other's eyes. She shook her head slightly. _

_"No matter how much I try to sleep, it just won't work. My head hurts to much." my mother coughed afterwards. _

_"But get better to us, and for everyone that needs you." My father pled. _

_"The damage is already done. Not even the doctors can fix." My mother replied. I could feel my father about to break into tears again. I was about to as well. Hearing words like this from mother meant only one thing._

_ She wasn't going to back home ever again. _

_"May, just stop." My father's voice did give me an indication that he was going to cry soon. "Stop saying you won't get better!" she let her hand go and ran the back of her fingers down his cheeks._

_"Shh." She replied softly. "Even when I'm gone I will still watch over you. I'll never leave you or the children alone." She held my father's hands again. "Promise me you will never give up on what life will throw at you, okay?" my father smiled slightly and nodded softly. My mother smiled back and her eyelids opened up fully. Her beautiful sapphire blue shined with such elegant radiance. "I will wait for you; I'll never go until you're by my side. Remember that I love you and always will…Ash." _

_ My mother's hands dropped down onto the mattress as the sound of the machine went pitch high, its pitch not changing and its notes staying the same. It echoed in my ears and felt like glass had just shattered into a million pieces. My heart had just beat its final beat as I watch my mother's last move, which was watching her eyes close for the final time. Tears I was hiding in me burst out as I wrapped my arms around her body, crying out in pain._

_"MOM!" I yelled. My tears ran off my face and to her chest. "MOM!" I repeated. "Come back! Please wake up!" I felt my father trying to separate me from my mother. He knew what pain I was in and I knew that I had to be away from my mother. It was for the best. _

_ I heard the footsteps of many doctors and nurses rush into the room with their equipment. I watched as they turned the machine on, pressing against her chest. Calling out 'clear' after each attempt. After the bolt of electricity went through her body, she would jump up slightly and then returning onto the bed. My father held me in his arms as we both watch the doctors and nurses trying to wake my mother from her eternal sleep. But it was just too late. She wasn't going to wake up ever again. _

* * *

"That was such a bad day." I sighed. "I can remember a time where I cried so hard."

"And yet you still believe your mother is still alive." I heard Aunty lay onto her back onto the bed.

"Why, is it a crime to believe now?" I turned around to face my Aunty. She had her eyes fixed on the white ceiling above us.

"Of course not." She continued to look up at the ceiling. "It's just that your ten now Ashlyn." She sat up and looked right into my eyes. "You're not a child anymore. You have to accept what reality throws at you."

"I do accept what life throws at me Aunty." I smiled. "I saw her back at Mommy at Dawny's home earlier. I remember looking straight in her blue sapphire eyes father would always talk about. I know she is alive."

"Lyn." Aunty sighed. "Your mother isn't a type of person to fake a sickness or a death like that. Her death gave a big impact on us. In fact I still find trouble to teach my students about pokemon without May coming into my mind. She affected all of our lives hugely."

"My heart doesn't lie Aunty." I clutched my hand over my heart. "It tells me mother is still alive." She just stared at me and sighed.

"Children." She muttered before shrugging her shoulders. I soon heard Uncle walking in with father right behind me. He was completely soaked from head to toe.

"Dad?" I questioned. "What happened?"

"Ashlyn mind if you leave the room for a minute?" Aunty asked. I nodded and walked out of the room. I stood and watched the door close in front of me. I sat on the carpet and laid my back on the door. Listening to their conversation.

"What the hell Ash!" I heard my Uncle complain as I also heard him take his cap and throwing onto the ground. "Why do you keep doing this to us?"

"I'm not asking you to do this for me. I'm perfectly fine."

"You want a damn bet on that?" Alex asked. Whenever my uncle used words like 'hell' or 'damn' I knew was anger and really serious. "You have this stupid habit of hiding your problems from us, ever since I met you again back in Petalburg woods nearly five years ago!"

"Please, don't do this alone Ash." I heard Aunty beg.

"Amelia." My father spoke. "Alex." He paused. "I just went for a walk; I got a little lost which is why I came back here like this."

"Don't you lie to me Ash!" my uncle continued to yell. "You have been the Sinnoh league elite four member for nearly five years. You now this place better than any of us here!"

"We know your still suffering from May's death. We are too."

"Okay!"My father yelled. "I still can't accept she's gone, happy now?"

"Happy to the fact you admitting it yes, but how you deal with it, no." My uncle replied in a much calmer tone.

"Ash." Aunty added. "Don't do this to yourself. Try to move on." I felt like my father wanted to ask but he didn't seem to find the words to ask why. My aunty continued. "And I feel like the only way you can really move on and enjoy your life is to…"

"To what?" he asked.

"To fall in love again."

"You're asking for a miracle Amelia." My father sighed. "I can't do something like that again. I don't want to feel the pain of being in love again."

"You might never know. You and May ended up together even though everyone believed you would never get married. Look at you now; you have two children with her." My father sighed afterwards again. "You never know Ash. I wouldn't test destiny if I were you."

"I guess…" silenced soon filled my ears before I heard my father speak again. "…maybe." I soon felt the door was pulled backwards and I fell onto my back. I saw my father looking down and me, smiling at me, very faintly. "…I could try again, for you guys." He blinked at him blankly. "What do you think LynLyn?" I grinned at my father.

"Anything that will make you happy dad will make me happy as well." I stood onto my two feet and jumped up a little. "I'll do anything to help my father happy again." my father laughed and picked me off my feet.

"Alright then." he grinned. "Let's head to bed and then we can all head to the battle tomorrow. I got a awesome battle with Iris Llynn tomorrow." I threw my arms over his shoulders.

"Make sure you win okay daddy?" I grinned cheekily. "Do this for mommy." I opened my eyes. He smiled at my warmly.

"I will." He dropped me back onto my feet and knelt down on one knee. "Promise I will."

Little did I know that my father really didn't have any plans to fall in love with my mother no more, if only I knew about this earlier I wouldn't lets his heart fall into another.

**End of chapter five **


	6. Chapter 6

This chapter is mostly battle-wise. so nothing interesting other than the start. i wanted to finish the battle in this chapter but it was getting too long. i promise next chapter will be much more interesting.

**~midnight**

**Shippings in this chapter: **None.

**Rating:** PG (K+)

* * *

**Chapter six**

I stretched my arms up high in that morning. I inhaled the fresh morning summer Sinnoh air. I closed my eyes as I listened to the Starly's chirp and sing. I opened my eyes and looked at the light blue sky covered in white puffy clouds. I soon felt the early morning rays peek through the clouds and land right onto my face and soon the wind picked up and made my hair dance wild. There were early morning joggers running past the apartments and pokemon waking up and walking out of their homes.

"Today is the day." I muttered. "YEAH!" I yelled. My loud voice gathered the attention of a few people and pokemon. I sweat dropped. "Sorry." I waved.

"Sis?" I turned around to see my brother was all ready awake and dressed. "Ready?" I nodded.

"Dad is going to fight Iris today. I'm so excited!" I cheered. "Wait, where's dad?" I asked. Maykel shrugged his shoulders. I walked out of the room and looked around for my father. I saw one door open slightly.

I tip toed up to the door and was planning to surprise my father by doing a tackle attack at him but something stopped me. I saw my father was looking out of the window holding a red bandana with his eyes closed. He was muttered a few words into the red bandana which was near his lips. He opened his eyes and looked up in the sky with a glint in his eyes. He muttered a few more words which I heard barely.

"This is it May." Was all I could get out of my father's words. I saw my father shove mother's red bandana into one of his leather coat pockets before noticing me by his doorstep. He waved and smiled at me. "Good morning LynLyn." I waved back and opened the door wide.

"Morning Dad!" I greeted with a huge grin on my face. "Ready for the battle today?" I asked, even though I knew the answer myself quite well.

"Yup." He walked over to me. "Cheer for me okay?"

"Of course." I winked to my father. "That's what daughters are for, other than annoying and asking gifts for their dads." I laughed.

"I think all I need is the cheering part of your job Lyn." My father laughed afterwards. I laughed with him. Soon I heard my younger brother crash into my legs. We turned around and saw Maykel chuckling. My father picked him up into his arms. He ruffled his short brunette hair. "Clumsy you are." My father smiled. "Be more careful okay?" Maykel nodded.

"As long as you win daddy." Maykel grinned.

"I will do everything I can to win for you two." He looked at Maykel and back down at me. "For your mother as well, it will be the last thing I promised to her before she left." He looked out of the window. "She wanted you two to see the greatest battle you will ever see in your lifetime." He turned his attention back to me. "And that's what you're going to see." I blinked at him confusion.

"What do you mean by last thing you promised to mother?" Father didn't reply to me at first. I was going to repeat the same question but father finally replied.

"The last thing before I finally let her go." he faintly smiled at me. "I know that's what she wants."

But I knew his smile was a lie.

He wasn't ready to let mother go. I could tell in the way he spoke, in was so unconfident and filled with uncertainty. The way he smiled wasn't real; it was all an act to make me agree with him. The look in his eyes was filled with sadness and pain, he still couldn't accept about what is happening with mother right now and his heart, I could hear it yell and say mother is alive. But I couldn't talk about this to him, not now, not on the biggest day in his life.

"Let's go LynLyn." My father opened his hand to me. I looked on his hand and back at him. There was one thing I knew he wasn't lying about.

That he really did want to show us the most never forgetting battle I was going to see.

That was real; there was no doubt about that.

* * *

"Welcome back Ash." A woman greeted the three of us. I turned around and saw it was the Sinnoh champion, Cynthia. She still wore her same old black body length coat and black hanging loose hair clips on both of her sides of her hair. Her hair was so long that the ends of long blond hair touched the tiles of the hallway. "I thought you were on a break?" The champion asked.

"I was until Flint told me I had an opponent to face." My father replied.

"Really?" Cynthia replied in slight shock. "It's been awhile since a challenger has gotten up to you."

"Yeah it has, hasn't it?" My father scratched the back of his black thick hair.

"Well I wish you the best Ash." The champion raised her hand in front of my father. "Make this a battle worthwhile." My father nodded and accepted the handshake. Footsteps soon filled up the hall which gained all of our attention. Only a few meters away from us stood my father's opponent, Iris Llynn.

"Oh, my bad." Iris sweat dropped. "Did I ruin your conversation?" She asked.

"No." the champion released the grip on her handshake with my father and faced towards Iris. "In fact I'm just about to go. I will be watching your battle from the stands." She continued to walk until she had past Iris. She glanced over her shoulder. "Good luck to the both of you." And she made her way out of our sights. Iris skipped towards my father, grinning. I felt annoyed on how she behaved right in front of my dad.

"Nice to see you here again Mr. Ketchum." Iris chucked slightly. "So are you looking forward to our battle?"

"Every battle I do is worth facing." My father shoved his hands into his leather coat pockets. "See you on the battle field Miss Llynn." My father turned away from her and made his way to the entrance.

"Huh, where are you going?" Iris asked blankly. My father glanced at her, over his shoulder.

"I have to find seats for my children." He grinned.

"Well then." She placed her hands firmly on her waist. "I better find my father before I lose him. See you soon!" She cheered and ran the opposite direction we were heading. Before she turned around the corner she stopped and waved at the three of us. My father sweated dropped and waved back at her with confusion.

"Interesting girl she is." My father muttered before guiding us to our seats.

* * *

"Sit here okay you two? Aunty and Uncle Alex should be here soon. I have to go okay?" Maykel and I nodded as my father rushed down the stairs and back down the hall. I could the audience gossiping on seeing an Elite Four member right in front of their eyes. I could even see young children staring at me while sipping their drink. It felt really unsettling but soon their mother told them to sit on their chair properly.

I looked at my surroundings and saw how jammed-packed the arena was. Nearly every seat was taken and everyone from every age was here to see my father's battle. There were a few pokemon out of their pokeballs and are either sitting on their trainer's lap or sitting right beside them. Young people with food in front of them kept on yelling 'hotdogs' to the people who wanted some. I soon heard my stomach grumble. I opened up my green fanny pack and looked at the coins I had. They weren't enough to buy the yummy snack so I sighed.

"Aww." I dropped the coins back into my bag. "I really wanted some too."

"Three hotdogs please." A voice of an old man called near Maykel and me. The boy selling the hotdogs replied with a 'certainly sir' and handed the snack to him. I looked away and placed my hands onto my lap and sighed once more. I placed my hands over my grumbling stomach.

"Shhh." I whispered. "You're going to distract the battle."

"Here" My eyes fixed themselves on the giant hotdog. My eyes shined with happiness and took the meal from the man's hand. My mouth was open wide until I thought who had given this delicious meal to me. I looked to my right and saw an old man, it was the same one from the one I just saw and had given the other hotdog to my younger brother.

He was old but looked fairly built for his age. His hair was short and he his facial white hair completely covered his mouth. He wore a white sleeve top but with the sleeves was pushed up to his elbows. He had purple and yellow suspenders with fairly pale grey trousers. With a green diamond centerpiece near his collar with two green silk ribbons hanging below it. He also had the same brown eyes as father.

"Thank you sir." I nodded. "But why are you giving this hotdog to me?"

"I saw your sad little face and I couldn't help but buy you and your younger brother one as well." He smiled. "And my name is Drayden, not Sir."

"Sorry Sir- I mean Drayden." I replied.

"That's alright." He patted me on my head. Soon the speakers of the battlefield spoke out words that the battle with my father and Iris was going to start. I watched as the side where my father would come out, the door open wide and walked out the fourth member of the Sinnoh Elite four, waving to his fans. Maykel stood on his chair and I stood up and yelled out my dad's name, Ash. He noticed both of us and smiled at the both of us. Drayden laughed at the both of us slightly. "So I'm guessing you're his children?" He asked. Maykel and I both nodded happily and excited. "Well my daughter is going to verse your father now." He crossed his arms. "I've been waiting for a battle like this, for a long time."

"You Miss Iris's daddy?" Maykel asked. "Her Haxorus hurt my daddy before."

"Maykel" I placed my hand on my brother's shoulder. "That was just an accident. It was my fault."

"She did?" Drayden asked us both. "My daughter can be a little careless at times." He replied. "I'm sorry for whatever she had caused you."

"Please forget about it." I sweated dropped. "It's nothing to worry about. It's in the past now." We all turned our attention to the battle when we heard the sound of a pokeball opening.

"Fraxure let's do it!" Iris cheered as he threw her poke ball into the air, the pokeball split into two, opening up and releasing a white light. The ball returned to Iris's palm as the light hit the ground. The light moved like a jelly on a plate before standing still and forming the shape of Iris's first pokemon.

It was another Unova pokemon that I had not seen before. It had long, gray and red-tipped tusks protruding from the sides of its mouth, with dark eyes with red irises, a gray face, and a cowl-like feature of green segments on its head, neck, back and chest. Its arms have three red fingers, and its lower body is gray, with red speckles on the underbelly, as well as red toes and a red tip to its tail. Its tusks shined in the light, showing it was just recently sharpened.

I looked over to my father who didn't seem affected by Iris's pokemon. He had his arms crossed looking confident of his battle. Only a few feet in front of he was my father's Garchomp, looking ready for the battle. Garchomp was mainly dark blue, with a red underbelly that covers from the middle of its abdomen, to its jaws, and then to the undersides of its arms. Underneath the red is a gold diamond shape as well a gold cross on its snout. Garchomp also has appendages that resemble jets and planes with its four fins, one on each arm, one dorsal fin and another on its tail that resembles a tailfin; horns that resemble jet/plane engines rest on its head. It has spikes on its hind limbs and arms as well as sharper claws than its previous evolution. Its eyes have black sclera and gold colored irises. Its pupils are tiny than most pokemon. Garchomp was glaring at Fraxure annoyed and ready to fight well in his battle.

"This will be a four on four pokemon battle. When the opponent beats three out of the four pokemon, they will declare the winner." The referee raised two flags in his hands. "Let the battle begin!"

"It's been awhile since we battled haven't we Garchomp?" Garchomp nodded. My father looked up at Iris. He smiled faintly at her. "Ladies first."

"Very well then." Iris muttered underneath her breath. "Dragon pulse now!"

"Double team and then Sandstorm!" my father pointed at his Garchomp.

Fraxure's body began to glow in a turquoise colour and the ball grew bigger the longer it held and kept its mouth wide open. Fraxure jumped up slightly off the ground before shooting the ball at Garchomp. As the ball headed towards my father's pokemon some dust was surrounding it, Garchomp quickly used double team as the ball and soon after added sandstorm as well. Tiny flakes of dust covered the field and visibility of the battle was getting hard. Iris covered her eyes with one of her arms as my father stood there, completely unaffected by Garchomp's move. The dragon pulse attack was getting surrounded by Garchomp's sandstorm and its speed was slowing down and faded away soon after. The sandstorm soon subsided as well.

"Wow." Iris spoke underneath her breath. "So this is how you truly battle. I'm so excited!" She cheered. "Now let's use Dragon dance!"

"Dig." My father simply stated.

Garchomp's claw's shined in the light as it dug deep into the ground as Fraxure was getting engulfed by black thunder clouds with red and light blue neon lighting shooting out of the clouds. By the time the dance was over Garchomp was underneath the ground, waiting to strike. Nether pokemon made a move for a few seconds before Iris called out another command.

"Jump now Fraxure!" Iris clutched her hands tightly, in front of her chest.

Fraxure jumped backwards as Garchomp exploded beneath where Fraxure was just standing only a few seconds ago. I could hear the audience gasped in how Iris dogged father's dig without him saying a word for Garchomp to attack. Father smirked at Iris. Garchomp was still in mid air after he released himself out of the ground.

"Dragon rush now!" My father yelled at the top of his lungs.

Garchomp flew at his opponent at lightning speed and the two appendages on its head turned into a radiant light blue. Then, its body becomes enveloped in a light blue aura with the same color streaks and it slams right into Fraxure head on. Slamming Fraxure hard into the ground. The smoke from father's dragon rush attack made dust from the ground to rise. Making us wait what had happened. When the smoke had lightened up, I saw Fraxure buried into the ground, deep. My father's fans stood up and waved and boards of support as other fans of the battle cheered. Iris looked disappointed as she raised her hand with Fraxure's pokeball and a red steam of light collided with Fraxure's body and engulfed it and sucked the pokemon back into the red and white machine.

"I was expecting more Iris." My father shoved his hands into his pockets.

"I was not expecting that." Iris's eyes where wide open by the shock she had received. She looked at Fraxure's pokeball and smiled faintly. "You did the best you could, that's what matters the most." She returned her pokemon back into her white backpack and smiled. "This won't be an easy win this time!" She cheered and threw her next pokeball hard on the ground. "Excadrill lets win this!"

And once more, white light was released from the small red and white machine; it smashed into the ground with small puffs of smoke was released when the pokemon collided with the ground. Excadrill was a dark-colored, mole-looking pokemon. It had a tapered, pink-tipped snout and a white face. It had large, gray-colored, jagged features on its head and forelimbs, which looked like axes. Excadrill had red diamond patterning on the side of its head, forelimbs, and legs, and larger, stripe-like patterns of red on its underside. Its head folds down behind its back, resembling a hood. It looked rather irritated and not in the mood to battle.

"Excadrill, come-on, listen to me for this once!" Excadrill glanced over its shoulder and sighed. Like it was acting and saying for this time only will it listen to Iris. "Thank you!"

"Excadrill, hm? I heard Drayden speak. "I'm surprised she still went through using him. Excadrill and Iris never seem to go well together. This will be an interesting battle."

"Drill run now!" Iris commanded her pokemon.

Excadrill position its arms and head in together so that the metal parts of its body formed a drill. It began to rotate its body clockwise at high speed that my father didn't have any time to counter react. Garchomp was hit under the chin was was sending up high into the air. Excadrill spilt open and was ready to use another attack.

"Rock slide!"Iris added.

"Get your balance back Garchomp!" Father yelled.

Soon her ground type pokemon began to glow a blue aura around its body. Its eyes glared at Garchomp as boulders of rock from the battlefield rose from the ground and flying straight at Garchomp.

"Dodge as much as you can!" Father added.

Garchomp flew left, right; up and down to dodge as much as he could but it was no use. The more Garchomp dodge the more it influenced Excadrill to continue its attack. After Garchomp got hit with one, it was just impossible to regain his balance fast enough to dodge other millions of boulders heading towards his way. Boulder after boulder sent my father's pokemon down out of the air and deep into the ground. Excadrill moved back in front of his trainer and waited for Garchomp to stand back onto his own two feet, but he didn't. Excadrill had sent so many boulders at Garchomp that he had fainted. Making the score one all.

"Even those moves weren't effective against Garchomp, you still was able to beat him." my father gazed at his fainted dragon type. He pulled out Garchomp's pokeball deep in his pockets and returned the creature back into its ball for some good earned rest. He looked up to Iris with determination. "You do truly are well trained gym leader." My father added. "But still, that's not going to be enough to defeat me, I choose you Feraligator!" My father threw his water type pokemon in the air high and watched the poke ball hit onto the ground, it opened wide and soon shot out my father's water type pokemon, Feraligator.

Feraligator was big, bulky, water type pokemon, primarily blue in coloration with strips of red and yellow under its jaw and on its belly. Battle-wise, Feraligator has large, powerful toothy jaws which are able to cause heavy damage. Three teeth are visible when Feraligator closes its mouth, two from the lower jaw and one from the upper. When I was a child Feraligator would always scare me every time he would try to do funny faces at me to cheer me up, it never worked. He has three sets of spikes on its body tinted in red and was super sharp. Feraligator was scales running up its arms and a few near its legs as well with his just sharper claws.

"Full of surprises you are Ash." Iris complimented. "Anyway let's start this battle, Aerial ace Excadrill!"

Excadrill closed its body like before and started to spin at full force at Feraligator as light engulfed its body the faster it went. Father crossed his arms and waited for Iris's pokemon to come in close contact to his. When Excadrill was about to collide into Feraligator's chest my father finally called out a command.

"Stop it with brick break."

Feraligator raised one of its arms and slammed it right down on Excadrill's head. It was a critical hit as Excadrill was slammed right into the ground.

"Finish it off with Superpower!"

And like my father told Feraligator, his water type picked up a huge boulder on the battle field and threw it right on top of Excadrill who was still trying to return it on his feet. The boulder smashed apart when it landed on top of Excadrill and right after that, Excadrill was no longer able to battle. Feraligator raised its arms in the air in a joyful manner. I looked over at Iris and saw how shocked he was to see her pokemon smashed like that in two easy moves.

"I thought Garchomp was hard enough." She sighed. She returned her pokemon back into her ball and released another pokemon of hers. "Druddigon, let's do this!"

Druddigon was a large, blue, hunchbacked, dragon type pokemon with its wings looking like thistle leaves. It also had a set of glaring, ferocious irises. Its arms were longer than its legs, giving it a low-slung, sloping gait. It has a thick, medium-length tail and sharp claws on both the hands and feet. Its head was colored bright red, and has several blunt horns and spikes jutting out everywhere on its body. It also has tall, red conical spikes, three on each arm, one on each shoulder, two on each leg, and four on its tail. It has a blunt, brutal snout, with no discernible teeth; instead, small fang-like protrusions sprout from its jaws. Its eyes are pale yellow. It has a series of olive-colored, football-shaped scutes running across its belly. It seemed like Iris's dragon type pokemon were all fierce looking.

"More Unova pokemon." My father added. "Well let's start off Feraligator. Hydro pump!" My father commanded.

"Go right through using Night Slash!" Iris added.

Feraligator opened its mouth wide open and quickly released a powerful water type attack right at Druddigon, but what the audience gasped at was that Druddigon went right through the attack at high speed thanks to night slash and slashed Feraligator right in the face. Making Feraligator's hydro pump attack stop. Its claws glowed a bright crimson colour when he used the attack and soon faded back to its original colour, white.

"Charge beam now!" Iris spoke. "Before Feraligator gets back up!"

The Unova dragon type opened its mouth wide open and a small yellow orb was starting to form and suddenly, out of nowhere it shot out into a thin electric type beam. My father was shocked to found out Druddigon had an electric attack under its sleeve. The attack landed on Feraligator but father quickly reacted after the attack.

"Use Agility to dodge it quick!"

Feraligator quickly moved it body out of the electric attack and moved itself right behind Druddigon. Druddigon quickly turned around to find Feraligator was already right behind it.

"Dragon claw now!" My father yelled, slightly irritated. I guessed it was because my father wasn't trapped in a corner like this in a long time.

The claws of Feraligator glowed bright neon blue and landed multiple slashes right in front of Druddigon.

"Druddigon!" Iris panicked. "Hold in there!"

I watched as father watched his pokemon land many dragon claw attacks at Druddigon but something was bothering him, and I couldn't tell what it was. When Feraligator finished his attack, Druddigon landed on its face fainted and right afterwards, so did Feraligator.

"How?" I asked in shock. "Father's pokemon didn't get hit when he was using Dragon claw on Druddigon!"

"Druddigon's ability is rough skin." Drayden answered. "When a physical attack lands on it, the opponent will get damaged as well."

"That means daddy has one more pokemon left." Maykel replied in a sad tone of voice.

"Yeah." I sighed. "And so does Iris." I looked at my father worried. "I wonder what father is going to use against Iris's strong Haxorus."

**End of chapter six **


	7. Chapter 7

**Shippings in this chapter: **Advanceshipping

**Rating:** PG (K+)

* * *

**Chapter seven**

"Jump up high Raichu!" My father raised his arm high up in the air, to signal Raichu was meant to jump up high.

"Stop it by grabbing Raichu by the tail!" Iris commanded back harshly.

Haxorus moved its feet quickly and stop Raichu from jumping into the air and dragged Raichu back onto the ground. Raichu was on the ground but Haxorus still held its tail.

"Dragon pulse now!" Iris commanded from the top of her lungs.

"Use thunder to intercept it now!" My father commanded. Both of them called out in anger and determination to win.

Raichu's body began to shoot out a powerful beam attack right at the dragon type attack. The ball was smashed into tiny fragments of aura. The electric type attack exploded with contact, sending smoke right into their Pokémon's faces.

"Iron tail now!" Ash called out. "Use that smoke to your advantage!" He added.

Raichu's tail quickly turned into a hard iron steel colour and slammed its iron fixed tail right in Haxorus's face. Haxorus took a few steps back, moaning in pain. Haxorus soon got over its pain and glared Raichu with its deep crimson eyes, showing it wasn't ready to give up just yet.

"Sword Dance!"

"Aglity!"

Both called out moves that would improve their status condition. Haxorus started to dance in some sort of dragon vigorously dance as black and red clouds appeared from the feet upwards as neon blue lighting sparked time to time as it continued to dance. On the other hand Raichu relaxed its body and calmed down and letting its speed increased. Soon after they used their move their trainers called out again.

"Giga Impact!" Iris called out. Pointing at Raichu as her Pokémon's target.

"Volt Tackle Raichu!" My father called out.

Both Pokémon used their most powerful move they had both mastered. Haxorus began to move slowly at Raichu but started to get fasted. Its body getting engulfed by a transparent pink colour with streaks of yellow going straight in the direction it was heading to. Raichu's volt tackle burst around my father's electric type quickly and also engulfed Raichu in a bright yellow colour with sparks shooting off. Smoke was arising from their feet the faster they went, and when both collided everyone could feel the force when both powerful Pokémon crashed right into each other. As the smoke covered the field like a blanket I had to wait in my seat with my brother and Mr. Drayden, all of us eager to like the smoke subside and see what had truly happened after the attack.

The smoke subsided and both pokemon were on the floor, tired but not knocked out. The referee was looking at both pokemon, left and right multiple times. He was about to raise both of his flags when he saw Haxorus starting to rise onto his feet.

"No…" I gasped. I covered my mouth. "No…" I repeated softly. I couldn't believe what was happening in front of me that…my dad was about to lose.

But my hope was raised when I saw Raichu rising to his feet. It was muttering his own name as he pushed himself off the ground.

"Alright time to end this!" My father called out. "Iron tail!" My father spoke in a slight cheerful manner.

Raichu jumped up high into the air and began to spin in a clockwise direction really fast like he was a drill. Raichu's tail glow a heavy iron colour as it continued to spin in mid air. Since Haxorus used Giga impact he need to rest to attack once more. It felt like I was watching a contest appeal in the videos mother would show me back home. Raichu began to dive down and continuing to spin at high speeds. Raichu soon exposed himself at Haxorus when their faces touched. Raichu grinned before slamming iron tail right into the dragon's face. Raichu landed onto his own feet and watched Haxorus fall and faint. A few seconds later, the grin on Raichu's face melted away and he too fainted onto the ground. The referee raised my father's flag.

"The winner is Elite four Sinnoh member, Ash!" the referee called out in a loud clear voice. Maykel and I turned to each other and smiled. We stood up from our seats and ran down to the field. Our father was at Raichu's side and helping him to his feet when he noticed me and Maykel running towards his direction. He grinned and opened his arms wide.

"That was awesome Dad!" Maykel cheered. I heard my father laugh afterwards.

"Didn't I say I was going to give you a battle you would never forget?" he continued to grin at us. We both nodded. The crowd and father's fan stood from their seats and either clapped or whistled or yelled out my father's name out loud and waved their banners up in the air as high as they could. I saw Iris return her pokemon back to its ball and made her way to us.

"Thanks for such a wonderful battle Ash." she bowed slightly. "It taught me a lot today. If there is anything you need help with, please call me." She grinned and waved to the three of us before making her way from us. I looked at my father.

"Do you believe mother was watching from the stands?" He looked up from the stands and I saw his eyes widen, well more like in shock. He took a few steps away from us and looked at one part of the stage. My heart jumped when I heard my father mutter a word.

"May?" He asked. I looked to where my father was gazing at but saw no one. I soon saw Uncle Alex and Aunty Amelia making their way down the stage and to the three of us. Their presence made my father snap from his trance.

"Ash!" Aunty waved as she ran to us. "Awesome battle there!" She smiled.

"Another great pull off there. I thought you were gone for a moment there." Uncle sweat dropped.

"So did I." My father chuckled and placed both of his hands behind his hair. "But when I saw Raichu standing up I knew I still had a chance to win." He grinned. "That was such a fulfilling battle." I looked at the entrance and saw Miss Cynthia at the entrance with a serious look all over her face. I tugged my father's black leather coat to gain his attention and pointed at the Sinnoh champ. He looked at her and turned serious and nodded. My father walked to her and at the same time waved at the audience and soon after we all tagged behind him.

* * *

The halls were much quieter than in the battlefield. Hardly anyone walked through them after battles so people could talk about anything they wanted without worrying about anyone hearing them. The walls were painted with a green-grey colour as the floors were polished with a light blue tile colour. Uncle, Aunty and father told me and Maykel to wait in the dressing room but their conversation was hard not to get interested by. I jumped myself off the mattress without gaining Maykel's attention who was wrapping white toilet paper around Raichu. In hope that it would help Raichu to get better.

"Liar!" was the first words I heard my father yell. "That note is just plain bull-"

"Ash." Cynthia spoke in a calm manner. "A stranger gave this to me weeks ago and said to give it to you personally. He said you would react something like this."

"Something like this?" my father yelled. "We were all meant to believe his dead and now his back from the grave?"

"I wish I knew why this is happening to you three but I simply just don't know." Cynthia shook her head sadly.

"So what's next? You're going to get another note saying that May's alive now, are you hm?" I heard my father continue to ask in an angry manner. "Even my mother was meant to believe his dead too. Do you even know the pain us three went through when we found out he was dead?" I peeked through the door and saw my father scrunching a note in his hands. "Our father isn't alive okay? His DEAD!" he threw the note on the floor and continued to look on the tiles with both his hands clutched tightly. "Dead, just like with everyone I care about…" I saw my father wipe his face with his arm.

"Ash…" Aunty added. "Cynthia told me that…father is in Unova right now. It said in the note. We could go there…if you want…of course."

"Ash, toughen up. I don't want to see my niece and nephew to see you like this again." Alex asked. My father didn't reply to any of their questions at first.

"We need to see father if we want to truly move on." Aunty added.

"And what else you want me to move on? Mother's death, May's death? Should I believe their alive now as well?" my father asked in an irritated manner. "If his alive all this time then why can't he come right here!" Dad pointed onto the floor while looking at Aunty and Uncle. "And tell me right in my face where the hell he has been for nearly all my life!"

"Ash please calm down." Cynthia asked in a calm manner as usual.

"Cynthia." My father turned to her. "I'm taking a break from work." He spoke. "I'm going to see my father in Unova and ask why he left me like that, ask why his wasn't at my mother funeral or my wedding with May!" He yelled and walked towards my direction.

"Ash!" Cynthia called out. My father looked over his shoulder. "Take Iris with you to Unova. I've heard she's nearly travelled in nearly every town in that region." My father glanced away from her. I hid myself behind the door and panicked that I would see my father's frustrated face as he entered into the room, but he didn't come in. I poked my head out of the door and saw father had walked right past our room.

"Father…" I spoke under my breath. "…please be okay…"

* * *

_ It was such a horrible day._

_ I watched as the doctors and nurses pressed the machine against my mother's chest in hope that her heart would wake up from its slumber and start pumping again. They did this over and over again but the result was the same. I yelled and yelled as my father held me closer to him. I soon heard the door burst open with everyone there, Uncle and Aunty with Maykel in her arms. Mommy Dawny was with Paul, Dawny with her hands over her mouth as Paul watched in shock in what was happening. Misty was near the door with her hands clasped together tightly and Gary was trying not to watching my mother's dying moments. _

_ They did one more heavy and deep push against her chest in hope my mother would arise but the ending was simple._

_ She was dead._

_ The doctor shook his head and the nurses looked down on my forever sleeping mother in sadness. They walked out and leaving us in such pain, sadness and depression. Mommy Dawny was the first to cry in tears. She ran and embraced my mother's cold dead body as Paul placed his hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her on the lost of her good, close friend. I heard her telling that she will always be her role model when it came to contests and she would never forget what they had been through. _

_ Next were Misty and Gary. Gary spoke little and said that he was happy that she had found Ash. He also said that thanks for making his good old friend so happy in the times when he needed it. Misty grabbed my mother's cold hands and held it tight. I remember her saying that even though they didn't speak often she always saw her as her good friend and she being gone was going to stick on her forever. Uncle Alex and Aunty Mimi followed. Aunty collapsed on her body in tears as Uncle did the talking for them both, saying that they haven't met such a wonderful and cheerful person in their life and that their lives were never going to be the same. _

_ I soon felt my father stand up from the carpet and I followed. The others moved back as I watched my father look at mother with such sadness that was so painful to watch. He ran the back of his fingers down her cheeks. The others decided it was best to walk out of the room and invited me to join them but I wanted to stay by my father's side. When everyone left I saw my father finally break and watched tear by tear run down his face. My father ran his fingers through my mother's silk brown hair. My father moved his face closer to my mother and shared what was the painful thing I saw my father do. _

_ They shared their last kiss._

_ My father lifted his face away from my mothers and during this time was when he cried the most. He opened his eyes and gazed at my mother's face. He clutched his fist and cried even more._

_"Why!" he slammed his fist on the mattress. "Why did you do this to us!" my father repeated the same actions. "You know I need you, I can't do this without you!" my father opened his eyes. He held my mother's hand and dragged them close to his chest. "Please don't go. Come back…please." He closed his eyes and started to act like he was praying. "If not now then soon." My father opened his eyes once more. "I still believe you're alive, no matter what they all tell me."_

_ And that was the first day that I to, believed my mother was still alive. _

* * *

"We're heading to Unova?" I asked with confusion. "Where's that?" I stopped folding my pajamas as I asked the question.

"The Unova region is a very far region from here. I thought you were listening in my classes?" My Aunt glared at me. She was helping packing my clothes as well.

"I just forgot Aunty Mimi." I scratch the back of my head and sweat dropped. "So anyway..." I dragged our conversation back to our trip to Unova. "I thought we were staying here in Sinnoh for our holiday?"

"Well that's what we all thought until your father received that letter." My Aunt replied as she continued to fold my clothes into my luggage. I was helping as well as we both sat on my bed. "To be honest I wished he never got that letter. Your father is acting funny again." Aunt sighed as she placed my top half of my pajamas into my white luggage bag.

"What was that letter about Aunty?" I asked as I placed the bottom half of my pajamas on top of its other match inside the luggage.

"Remember that story Uncle Alex and your mother told you that your grandfather died out in sea when we were all very young?" I nodded in response that I did remember that story. Aunty sighed sadly afterwards. "That story isn't exactly true anymore."

"I don't understand…" I asked. My voice started to trail into confusion.

"Your grandfather…he isn't dead."

* * *

_"Who's that Mom?" I asked as I pointed to a photo of a man next to my father. My father was around seven when the photo was taken. The photo was wrinkly and had many folds on it. _

_"That's your grandfather." My mother carried me onto her lap as I continued to hold out family album book. "On your father's side of course."_

_"Where is he now?" I asked. I laid my head on my mother's chest and held the book in front of me as if I was reading a novel. _

_"He passed away when your father was a young boy." mother untied my left piggy tail as it was starting to get loose. "I remember your father telling me that he was a loving and caring man. He lost his life at sea while travelling to this region called the Unova region." My mother explained. I brought the photo album closer to my face. _

_"He looks nothing like father mommy." I asked in confusion. _

_"It because your father's looks were mostly off Grandma Delia." My mother chuckled. She tied my piggy tail back up tightly._

_"I wish I got to meet him Mom." I sighed. _

_"Your father would never let you meet him if he was still alive." My mother spoke in a disappointed manner. I looked up at her._

_"What do you mean mommy?" I asked. _

_"It's complicated honey." She looked down and me and grinned. She opened her eyes and looked down at me. "But what I can tell you is that you don't want to be raised in a world full of problems."_

* * *

"A world full of problems eh?" I asked. In my hands I held an old photo of mother and fathers journey in the Hoenn region.

In the middle of the photo was Uncle Max, he looked really nerdy and annoying with the expression on his face, added with his glasses. He had a huge smile all over his face and his arms were open wide in the air. On the side was my mother, she had here red T-shirt top with a red bandana wrapped around her brown hair. Underneath her red top was what seemed to be a white mini skirt. She had a smile on her face but not as big as Uncle Max. Then there was Uncle Brock as well. We never got to see him often back home since he was looking after the gym as well as a Pokémon doctor. I admired that he could do two jobs at once. He had a brown vest with orange collar on the side. He had a calm and glad expression over his face. And lastly was my father with Pikachu on top of his red and black cap. He looked so happy back then and his grin was something I never saw from him in a very long time. He wore a blue vest with a black shirt underneath with a light blue hood as well. They all looked so happy that it made me wonder that when I graduate from trainer school if my journey would be as happy and lively as this photo right here.

I was on the bed and nearly all of my clothes were packed up and in the luggage's and were ready as we were about to leave soon. I was on the bed and soon fell onto my back, still looking at the photo. I began to wonder how life was back then and if my father had the same personality he had right now. He looked like he wasn't the type of boy that was interested in girls and my mother looked like she never had any interest in boys either. When my family tells stories of how mother and father fell in love with each other it's really hard to put them together with photos such as theses. My questions faded away from me when I heard a knock on the door. I turned my head to the door and saw my father entering into the room, looking to see if anyone was inside. He soon found me lying on the bed with a photo in my hands.

"Lynlyn?" my father asked. "What are you still doing in here?" he asked.

"Dunno." I shrugged my shoulders.

"Hey I remember that photo." My father took a seat next to me. I soon sat up and handed the photo to my father. "This was back in Hoenn, just a few weeks after Max joined us."

"Hey dad." I asked. My father looked back at me. "Is it fun to travel in a new region by yourself?"

"Of course it is." My father patted me on the head. "But it's more fun with friends."

"I see." I looked back at the photo. "At first, did you ever wanted to travel with your friends?" I looked up at him.

"Well at first, I didn't but that changed over time." He handed the photo back to me. He soon lied on the bed with his arms under his head, acting like a pillow. "I had so much fun over the years. I met so many new people, made so many friends, caught heaps of Pokémon, and made new rivals. I don't regret anything that happened to me in my young years." He looked up to the ceiling.

"Even forgetting your memories dad?" I asked. He didn't reply back at first but soon replied.

"Yeah." He took a breath before adding. "Back then I was so upset that I forget nearly everything about myself but if that never happened I would never travel with your mother back in Johto or find new things about my background." He sat up and patted me on my shoulder. "Bad things happen to us for a reason. At first we would question ourselves why these bad things are happening to us but later on the track you will find out why and say you don't regret any of it."

"I don't see anything non-regretful about mother's death." I spoke softly.

"Everything except that Ashlyn." He stood up from the bed and slipped his hands into his pockets. "I couldn't save her, that's something I have to deal with the rest of my life." My father sighed. "If only…I knew that she was missing earlier then…you guys would still have a mother right now." I slipped the photo into my green fanny pack and embraced my father from behind.

"At least me and Maykel didn't lose you either dad." I stopped our embraced and father turned around and kneeled down to my height.

"I'm just glad I have you both with me. I don't think I would be able to wake up every day without you two." He smiled softly at me. I put my hands on his cheeks and lifted his smile higher.

"Smile like this next time, okay?" I told him in a cheeky manner. "You look so old when you smile like that." My father burst into laughter right after. I laughed right after him as well.

"Alright I will." My father replied. "Just remind me next time okay?" he smiled.

"Sure thing dad!" I cheered.

**End of Chapter Seven**


	8. Chapter 8

Sorry for the delay. its school holidays and i'm too busy sleeping in than writing. don't worry. i'm getting back into the groove of writing. Sorry for the delay.

**~midnight**

**Shippings in this chapter: **Slight Negai? I can't tell. =P

**Rating:** PG (K+)

* * *

**Chapter eight**

"I promise to look after you while we are in Unova." Iris placed her hands onto her waist and grinned at us proudly. "So I shall present to you, the Royal Unova!" Iris lifted her hand and showed us a huge golden cruise ship. My father looked at the ship in a terrified manner.

"The last time I went in a cruise ship like this I nearly died." He spoke and glared at Iris. "I don't want to put Maykel and Ashlyn in a ticking time bomb."

"Don't worry Ash." Iris smiled. "Royal Unova is known for their high standard of safety as well as their high standard of hospitality!" she raised her arms in the air. "Shall we go in?" father looked over his shoulder.

"What about you two?" He asked. "Aren't you coming?"

"Coming." Aunty Mimi cheered. "I always wanted to to ride in a ship like this!" her auburn eyes began to sparkle.

"Same here." Alex crossed his arms and sighed. "I want to speak with father as well." Father nodded as he turned back at what seemed to be our Unova travel tour guide.

"Well then let's head in." Iris flashed her back at us and led us into the big and well renowned cruise line.

As we all were about to enter into the rooms I took the time to look at the appearance of the ship. It was golden and in the middle of the ship it had many floors stacked up on each other. All the windows had rich golden orange curtains across them and it had heaps of machine equipment on the roof of the ship. On the deck looked like lots of activity on it like a giant swimming pool and lawn bowls. I grinned softly.

_"Maybe going to Unova isn't such a bad thing after all." _

* * *

The rooms where as fancy as the outside interior of the ship, each room had either rich crimson or deep cerulean blue wallpaper and the beds were covered in luxury thick white blankets and were super soft to the touch. I felt like sleeping on the spot when I felt how soft it was. I looked out of my window and saw the blue sea shining like a bright polished diamond. I turned around to face the door when I saw my father putting our luggage into our room. He looked really exhausted while Maykel was by his side, smiling while holding his backpack in his hands.

"This is fun!" my younger brother cheered. My father looked at him in a tried manner.

"Says you." He sighed afterwards. I laughed right afterwards. My father looked up at me. "I'm going to get some rest. Look after your brother alright?" he asked. I nodded.

"Sure thing dad!" I cheered. "Let's go out onto the deck Maykel." I ran to the door and grabbed Maykel by the hand and ran out to the deck.

The deck was much bigger than I had first thought. The deck was made out of hard timber and was just recently polished as Maykel and I could see our own faces on it. We put on a few funny faces and laughed at it before we moved on before people started to think as us as weird children. We ran to the end of the boat where we watched the Sinnoh region fade away from our sights.

The deck was surrounded with white rails so nobody could fall off. I placed my hands on the rails tightly as Maykel climbed up the rails until he was my height. He had his feet on the first rail and his hands on the top. We looked at each other and smiled. We never had this much fun after mother's death but the feeling of begin in such an expensive cruise line made us feel really happy.

"Hey sis." Maykel asked. "I saw mother the other day."

"Really?" I asked. "Did you found another photo of hers in dad's bag?" I asked as I looked at the lump of green faded from my sights.

"No." He shook his head. "It was at mommy Dawny's home. Up in the tree." I quickly flashed my attention back to my brother.

I felt my heart race and my eyes open wide in shock. I looked down at my hands which were tightly gripping the white railing. They soon began to shake. I shook my head afterwards.

"So that wasn't an illusion?" I asked in confusion. "So mother is really alive?" I looked up at my brother.

Should I really ask such a deep question to my five year old brother? Would he understand me? Would he give me the right answer or yet if what he was saying was true to begin with.

"She said to me not to give up. She will come back." He held his hands tight on the rails and leaned back and let the wind rush past his face and through his short brown hair. "Mommy is coming back!" He smiled and laughed. "Yay!"

That's right. Father also saw mother at the Sinnoh league a few days ago. This was no coincidence.

Mother is alive.

But where was she?

Why hasn't she come back yet?

Why wasn't I happy mother was alive?

Why?

"You two alright?" a voice suddenly called. Maykel lost his grip in the sudden call but luckily the person who called to us caught my brother. She held Maykel in their arms. I turned around and saw it was Miss Iris Llynn. "Be more careful next time?" Iris patted my brother on the head. Maykel nodded and Iris placed him on his feet and quickly ran to my side. "I heard that your mother is alive. You don't seem happy about it."

"I'm not happy because if she is alive why isn't she here?" I looked away from her and fixed my eyes on the crashing waves colliding to the ship's metal wall. "I thought that when I found out my mother was alive I would be happy but now I just feel so angry." I tightened my grip on the rails. "I hate her!" I felt water build up in my eyes. "If she is alive why isn't she here when I need her the most?" I soon felt a warm soft hand come on top of mine. I opened my eyes and saw teardrops on the rail and on my hands, even on Iris's as well.

"It's alright to feel like this. Be glad your mother is alive to begin with." I moved my head to face her and saw her looking at me with her auburn eyes.

And for a second there I felt like I was looking into my mother. The way she looked at me pierced through my heart and released my weakness. The way she held my hands with her soft gentle hands felt so comforting. She raised her hand and brushed my black long hair in the same way mother would always do. She placed both her hands on my cheeks and tilted my head up to hers. She soon began to wipe my tears away with both of her thumbs.

"I never got the chance to meet my mother. My father raised me and hardly spoke of her. Be glad your father lets you talk about her when you want; even it hurts him to hear her name again and again. To be honest I wished my father was similar to yours. He is such a caring man I admire." I released my grip on the rails and let my hands fall down onto my sides. Iris picked my hands and held them close to my heart. "Take all the angry away from here." She tapped my heart using my hands. I knew she was talking about my heart. "Be happy that your mother is alive and still wants to see you. Be happy that you still remember her and treasure the memories you have with her. Never take them for granted." She held my hands tighter slightly, but her gentle hands felt like she held my hands looser. "You don't know why she left a year ago but be happy she is starting to come back into your lives. Be happy she still remembers to come back for you guys." She smiled at me. "Okay?"

I felt a few mores tears run down my face as I released my grip on Iris's hands. I wiped them away and faintly smiled at her.

"Alright Miss Llynn."

"Shh." She placed one of her fingers over my lips. "Call me Iris please."

"Yes Miss-I mean Iris." I giggled.

"That's better." She laughed. "Smile more. Children like yourself shouldn't worry things like this." She looked down to Maykel who was hiding behind my legs. "Alright?" She patted Maykel once more." Maykel nodded. Iris soon stood up. "I have to go now." she spoke in her normal cheery voice. "I still have to show your aunty the fashion area. I don't know why she wants to waste money on fashion stuff." She sighed. "Now you two better head back. Your father might be worried about you two." We both nodded. She smiled. "See you later." She waved before leaving Maykel and I back alone on the deck. I looked down onto my brother.

"What do you say we head back and annoy father by doing a human version of a tackle attack?" I grinned. "Just for fun." Maykel smiled back.

"Sure!" He cheered.

I held his hand and we quickly ran back to our rooms, smiling along the way.

* * *

"So that's why they couldn't come over." My father sighed. Maykel and I entered into our room and he soon turned to us. "I was wondering where you guys went." I noticed he was holding his red poke gear in his hands.

"Who are you calling?" I pointed at my father's pokegear. He looked at the device he was holding. He chuckled.

"This?" he smiled. "I just got a text from Dawn and Paul saying they couldn't come to the league since Daniel got sick suddenly. I replied saying that we are in Unova now so if they want to come over they should call me instead of texting." He sweat dropped. "Your mother was better at texting than I am. My fingers are too chubby so I sometimes press two keys at once." Maykel and I laughed afterwards.

"You don't need mother to help you text on here." I ran up to the bed and jumped on it. I looked down at my father and pointed a finger in the air. "Your wonderful children are here to help their clueless father!"

"Clueless father!" Maykel copied my actions and raised his hands in the air. We turned to each other and laughed once more.

"What wonderful children I have." My father said in sarcastic tone. I dropped down which made the bed shack a little and I took a seat next to my father. Maykel dropped to his knees and threw his arms over my father's shoulder and hug him from his back.

"Now to start off you have to click on this blue notebook. This is contacts and that's where you can put your friends' numbers in." I explained as father looked at me and Maykel. He faintly smiled.

"Yes Maim." Father slightly giggled. The three of us soon joined him as well.

"Hey Ash." Iris asked quietly as she knocked on the door afterwards. She looked quiet shy that she had interrupted my family moment with my brother and my father. "I just want to tell you that we will reach Castelia City tomorrow afternoon."

"Castelia City eh?" My father raised an eyebrow. "I heard that is once great city in Unova." Iris nodded.

"It is." She smiled. "In fact it's a great place for a family holiday. And not far from Castelia City is Nimbasa City. That place is filled with amusements parks and pokemon Musicals." My eyes glowed with glee. I turned to my father and started to use my puppy eyes begging trick at him.

"Can we go please?" I clasped my hands together in a praying manner. "Can we?"

"Sure. Just as long you two behave." He patted my head and me and Maykel cheered. While Maykel and I were jumping on the bed with such excitement my eyes came across Miss Iris looked at us.

She looked like she wanted to have her own…children.

But it didn't make any sense. I only knew Iris for only a few days and her personality; the wildness and the cheekiness didn't really match her to become a mother. But the way she looked at us it was either she wanted children or she used to have children. I was only ten but the way she looked at us was just like mother.

Whenever I was having fun by myself or with Maykel I would just see by the corner of my eye that mother was watching us with glee and happiness. Just like Iris was doing; but in her eyes had more the happiness and glee. She was envious and somehow depressed.

Was her acting like a child really hid something more deep?

But my train of thought was interrupted when my feet hit the edge of the mattress and I fell down to the carpet backwards; hitting my head onto the crimson carpet. Iris entered into the room with my father coming down to help me. Iris helped me onto my feet as Maykel watched me from the bed. Father also helped me back onto the mattress. I scratched my head. Father was sitting onto my left and Iris on the right.

"Sorry." I said. "Didn't mean to make you all worry about me."

"Be more careful next time Ashlyn." Iris patted my cheek on the right softly. "You're like a younger version of your father. So clumsy everywhere he goes." She giggled and I joined her as well.

"I agree." I took a break of laughing before breaking into laughter once more. "He doesn't even know how to text properly without us to help him." Iris laughed with me once more.

"It's not funny anymore guys." My father spoke in an irritated manner. Iris swirled around before taking a seat next to my father.

"Don't cry Mr. Grumpy Gills." Iris poked at his cheek. "I will help you." My father stared at Iris in an annoyed manner. "Hey. Don't look at me like that." She placed her hands firmly on her hips. "I have my ups and downs. I can be useful." Father soon busted into laugher. "Hey, what's so funny?"

"It's nothing Iris." Father soon stopped laughing. "It's just you remind me of my wife, May. She is just like you." Father sighed. "I shouldn't be talking this to you." He placed his hands over his face sadly. "I shouldn't be getting down like this." He lifted his face up again. "Sorry." My father apologized. I didn't understand why he said sorry since he did nothing wrong to Miss Iris. "Every time I mention my wife I get slightly depressed."

_"…Be glad your father lets you talk about her when you want even it hurts him to hear her name again and again."_

Iris was right. Every time I or Maykel would say my mother or her name near him was like him getting punched in the gut or a cut getting deeper and deeper with each new slice. My father's heart was still beaten up and painful from my mother's death which I don't know if it's still real or not anymore. My father was enduring the painful words that came out of our mouths and act like it didn't affect him at all. I felt so guilty within myself. I was such a selfish child.

"Hey if you need to talk about her, anything at all, I'm here." Iris patted my father's back. Father looked up at her.

"Thanks Iris." He smiled at her faintly. "You're a good person you know. I've known you for a few days and you act so kind to me and a wonderful mother to my children. Thank you for begin a mother for them. Even if it's temporarily I'm still glad you can give some motherly love they need so much." Iris smiled back and placed her hand on top of my father's.

"Anytime Ash." She smiled. "Anytime." And father smiled back at her, warmly.

**End of chapter eight**


	9. Chapter 9

13 pages. its to make up why i always update my stories to late. haha.

**~midnight**

**Shippings in this chapter: **Advanceshipping, Slight Negaishipping.

**Rating:** PG (K+)

* * *

**Chapter nine**

After many hours stuck in the Royal Unova, we have finally arrived at Castelia City. The city was much bigger than I first thought. It was a huge city with many skyscrapers and tall buildings, all pointing up towards the sky. It had many boat ports all around the city. The city was surround by water. so many other people from different regions would arrive here as well. Behind the city was a huge thick green forest. Castelia city was such a huge and beautiful city.

Everyone of my family was on the front part of the cruise ship. We all watched in excitement as the well renowned city grew bigger in our sights.

"Wow, Castelia city is so huge!" Aunty cheered.

"Calm down Amelia." Uncle Alex tried to tame my wild aunty. "Don't embarrass yourself too early." He teased.

"If you and Ash don't play pranks on me every time we go on a holiday then I wouldn't be embarrassed all the time by you guys." Alex and father began to chuckle. "See!" Aunty pouted. Iris stood beside Aunty Mimi.

"Boys will be boys." She smiled.

Soon the horn of the ship blew once more and the ship's speed began to decrease. We all began to pick up our luggage and walked to the entrance of the boat. The boat stopped and the rails were release. Millions of passengers rushed out of the boat like a swarm of Beedrills. When the swarm was over we all got off the boat. When I placed my feet onto the solid concert of the pier did I only just notice how truly big the city was. I felt like my jaw nearly dropped down onto the cement in such a huge sight.

There were many people on the pier. Iris told me it was rush hour and everyone would be at the pier either to relax or travel. In that huge crowd I noticed a man with green hair. He was dressed in a waiter's uniform but with the exception of a brown coat over him. He was gazing at my direction, but I knew he wasn't looking at me but instead, the person behind me.

It was Iris Llynn.

She looked upset to see him and quickly refused to look at him any longer. Instead she grabbed my family's attention by inviting us all to the poke center to stay. Since nobody knew that my family was part of the Sinnoh elite four and the Sinnoh battle frontier, it was safe to stay at a poke center without all the media coming at us. As we walked past the man with the green hair I heard him say something to me. I turned around to face him. I pointed at myself to show him if he was talking to me, and he replied with a simple nod. I looked around and saw my family was still not too far from me. So I went towards him. Even if was a bad man, I had my Pokémon to protect me.

"You're travelling with Iris Llynn aren't you?" He asked.

"Yeah, my family is. You see this is my family's first time in the Unova region and Iris decided to help us around here. My father beat her in the Sinnoh league since my father is part of the elite four there."

"She always told me she wanted to part of an elite four once." He crossed his arms and turned his back to me, looking towards the endless sea of blue. "And I replied that I would be cheering for her at the sideline." He dug his hands deep into his pockets. "But I never came."

"Are you her friend mister?" I asked. I walked right beside him.

"We use to be." He looked at me. "You better go now. Your family wants you."

"Um sir." I tugged his coat. "What's your name?" I asked in curiosity.

"Cilan." He spoke. "Cilan Efflorescence."

* * *

It had been three days since we got here in Castelia city. Iris was kind enough to show us around for that long. We had been to all of the ports and nearly into all of the buildings that were interesting to us visitors to go into. While my family has been here I've been able to battle new trainers and new Pokémon I've never seen before. I was in the park of the city which was located right in the middle of the city. It had a water fountain in the middle with tree, shrubs, bushes and flowers all around me with a few break-dancers as well.

"Venasaur use Petal Dance!" I yelled at the top of my lungs.

"Saur!" My grass type called at the top of her lungs and beautiful pink and red rose petals shot out from its giant spotty red flower placed on its back. The giant red petals on its back lifted up as the rose petals began to spin up high into the sky, forming a rose petal whirlwind. The spiky palm tree leaves underneath Venasaur's flower began to move up as well.

"Now sunny day!" I cheered.

A beam of white light was unleashed from the center of Venasaur's flower. Sending a bright light right through the rose whirlwind. The light went up high into the sky and then soon burst. A few seconds later small tiny fragments of light came falling down, making the rose petals still in the sky shining as bright as ever. I watched as the petals and the harsh sunlight starting to fade and the petals slowing dropping to the ground.

"That was for you mom!" I yelled to the heavens above. "Happy birthday!" I added.

That's right. It was my mother's birthday today. Our family's first since she died. One half of me wanted to say that she was dead while the other half keeps convincing me she's alive. I couldn't put into words on if I believe my mother was alive or not. Still, I decided to be a coordinator for a day even though I plan to be a Pokémon ranger some day. That's why I'm entering into the Pokémon musicals for today only.

"I'm sure your mother saw that from up there." I turned around to see whop it was. It was Iris. She was looking up at the sky and down back at me. "Was that a contest move?" She asked.

"Yeah." I nodded. "It was one of the moves my mother used back when she was in contests back in Kanto." I stared at her blankly. "Although I think I messed up the steps. I think they're not in order." I soon added. "Haven't you seen a contest move before?"

"Not really." She placed her hands firmly on her waist. "Contest's aren't very popular over here. We only have Pokémon musicals sadly." She paused and soon added. "I remember watching contests on cable TV when I was young. The moves the coordinators pulled off were so amazing."

"Hey I know!" I jumped up in excitement. "Can you come to me to the Pokémon musicals Iris?" I asked.

"Alright." She smiled. "Your father has been asking me out to go somewhere today. I think he would love to see his own daughter doing musicals for the first time." She giggled afterwards.

"Asking you out?" I asked and thought to myself. "Isn't that like a date?" Iris looked at me in an embarrassed manner.

"I don't really think it's a date Ashlyn." Iris blushed. "Just a friendly outing. That's all." She sweat dropped. Soon father and Maykel found Iris and me talking to one another.

"There you are Iris." Father greeted. He looked at me afterwards. "And so is Lyn Lyn." Father smiled. Iris tapped father on his left shoulder softly. Father looked at her.

"Is it alright if we watch Ashlyn enter a Pokémon musical today?" Iris asked. Father shifted his eyes away from her for one moment. "I want to see contest moves in front of me for the first time." Father looked back at her.

"Yeah…" he softly muttered. "It's been awhile since I last went to a contest."

That's right.

Father hasn't been to a contest since mother went missing. He hasn't seen or heard or even mention that word until now. Sometimes I find it hard to believe that father was once a coordinator. He rarely even shows me his moves. I sighed.

"Dad, is it really true you use to be a coordinator?" I looked up to my father. Father looked at me and was about to respond when Iris beat him to it.

"Really?" Iris asked like a child in an excited manner. "Your use to be a coordinator?"

"Yeah…" Father muttered underneath his breath. "But that was such a long time ago."

"So what haven't you been yet or haven't been in a long time?" Iris asked cheekily. Father sighed before answering.

"A husband." He muttered. Father turned from us and began to walk away with Maykel by his side. Holding his hand.

And we didn't say anything after that.

* * *

I held out a small pink dress. I glared at it and looked back at Sparks. Sparks was my Pichu and was the youngest addition into me team. We were backstage in the Pokemon Musical arena. To pass the first round we had to dress one of our pokemon and make them dance in front of an audience. I found that idea rather silly. I was on a chair with a round oval mirror in front and connected onto a desk filled with makeup and other stuff. The mirror had lights all around it. I had a box of props I had to use and inside of it was the small pink dress.

"Really Sparks?" I asked once more. "If I remember correctly, you're a guy not a girl." Sparks giggled.

"Pi pi chu!" Sparks continued to laugh.

"So it was a joke now eh?" I sweat dropped. "Well you're not very good at it." Soon a heard the speakers start to speak.

_"All contestants please be ready to perform within ten minutes. Thank you." _It spoke.

"Ughh." I sighed. "Why do we have to dress pokemon like dolls? I see no contest value in this."

"It tests your skills of matching certain things together." A voice called from outside the entrance of my dressing room. Soon followed their footsteps. I looked at the person and saw it was a woman. She has a simple light blue dress with long beautiful brown hair with gorgeous sapphire eyes. She looked into my box and placed a ten gallon hat and a small guitar. She placed some golden shades and a red ribbon wrapped around Spark's neck. "There!" She smiled. "I hope that's okay."

"Thank you." I replied. "What's your name miss?" I asked afterwards. She paused right after.

"You don't need to know my name. After this contest we won't see each other again. So really there is no point." I looked at her in confusion and wanted to keep on asking but decided it would only give me more confusion. She soon walked out of my room as quick as she entered in it. I watched her leave.

"What a strange woman." I told myself.

* * *

"Now let's welcome the pokemon that will entertain you all tonight!" The host greeted the wild and excited audience.

Childish music began to fill the arena. Flutes, violins and a piano accompaniment played light and softly on the music track. A backdrop of a forest was revealed and the two red curtains began to withdraw up high. I couldn't help but continued to blush. This is what I didn't sign up for.

There were four trainers on the same stage as me, another girl and one more boy, a few years older than me. Also there was the same strange girl from earlier. We were all dressed like our pokemon. I was wearing a ten gallon hat with a guitar as well with golden shades. I was wearing a white top and blue boot leg jeans. I never liked dancing and now I was going to dance in front of a live audience. Father and Iris were right next to each other with Raichu clapping at me and Maykel in father's lap. I prayed that I wouldn't embarrass myself to them.

"Mom." I spoke softly to myself. "Please help me."

The music picked up and I had my feet going everywhere. I was moving in places I was supposed to be, even though I didn't know I had to be there. Me and Sparks were coping the moves of the others. When the spotlight shined above Sparks and me we just played our guitar in confusion, pretending we knew what we were doing. Even we didn't. The whole two minutes came to an end and we all bowed to the audience. I took a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness that's over." I sat onto the stage floor.

"It's not over." The same woman from before spoke. "Now you have to show your moves to the audience with one of us." She grinned. "Exciting isn't it?" I sighed.

"Not really." The woman laughed at my last statement.

"How cute." She giggled.

Moments later the results were in and luck wasn't on my side when the host of the show announced I was paired up with the strange brunette. I sighed and look at Sparks.

"This is just not going my way today." I placed my hands onto my waist. "Well complaining won't change anything.

Everything was so fast paced at Pokemon musicals. I fact I didn't even had time to switch pokemon. The backdrop changed to a stardom scene. It looked like a pop star stage. Colourful lights shown everywhere and a disco light soon entered. I stood on one part of the stage while my temporarily partner stood on the other. The red curtains had closed down and were about to open in less than a minute. My partner soon walked over to me and tapped me softly on the shoulder.

"I'm going to send out my Venasaur. If you use your Pichu we can both perform my special vanishing trick!" She winked.

"Say wha?" I blinked at her in shock. "Vanishing trick?" The strange woman nodded.

"Yes." She added. "So if I disappear, please don't panic."

The curtain rose and we both look and the audience, waiting for us to make a move. The brunette sweat dropped. She walked forward and near at the end of the stage with her arms wide open.

"Hey there." She began. "We will both show you my clever vanishing trick. I hope you will enjoy this." She bowed after. Her hands grabbed a poke ball and pressed the middle button which made it double in size. She stood up straight and threw the poke ball high up into the air. "Sunny day Venasaur!" She commanded.

"Um, use Charge Sparks." I spoke softly. Unconfident of the move I just told my Pichu to do.

Venasaur soon appeared onto the stage as Sparks jumped onto its huge red spotty flower and used Charge while Venasaur used sunny day. The audience clapped but it was nothing major.

"Petal dance!" Venasaur's trainer commanded as she spun around.

Pink and red roses soon emerged from Venasaur's huge flower and sent Sparks high up in the air, floating in mid air. Soon my contest insists came in.

"Do fronts flip while using Volt Tackle to get out of there!" I commanded.

"Pichu!" Sparks replied as his body began to flash bright yellow. He started to spin around and around in the one spot before moving out of Venasaur's petal dance whirlwind. Pichu landed right in front of Venasaur and faced the audience. The audience clapped once more, but the sound was louder than before.

"Okay now I want your Pichu to use Thunder when I tell my Venasaur to use Solarbeam okay?" She looked over to me. I replied with a simple nod. The weird woman walked backwards and did a back flip and landed in the middle of her Pokémon's petal dance. She didn't look like she was getting hurt of affect by the petal dance. Her long brown hair lifted up and nearly did her dress as well. "Now I will show you my vanishing trick!" She yelled to the audience. "Solarbeam!" She added.

"Thunder let's go!" I added in as well. Following the woman's' strange orders.

White light began to emerge from Venasaur's flower, right in the center of it. Pichu on the other hand began to send down a powerful electric attack. The woman's feet began to glow bright by Venasaur's Solarbeam attack. As soon the sky roared and flashed thunder, did the Solarbeam attack shined and Thunder quickly hit right in front of Sparks. Venasaur's Solarbeam and Sparks thunder made a huge collision of light, making it impossible to open my eyes. Seconds later I flashed my eyes wide open and saw the woman and her pokemon was gone. The audience stood up and clapped.

Everyone except father who was gone.

I looked around and bowed at the audience quickly before leaving the stage with Sparks tagging behind me.

That move that strange woman performed.

Only one person I knew could do that trick.

Mother.

"Mom!" I yelled down the hall of the arena. "Where are you?" I continued to yell. "Mom!" I repeated as I ran down the hall. Opening every door I went pass. Hoping she would be in one of them.

But she wasn't.

That vanishing trick was really called the flashing dance. It was a move mother made in her last grand festival in Sinnoh. It was the contest move that made her win. She was against Daddy Drew back then. Mom and Daddy Drew had returned their rival relationship and Father and Daddy Drew set aside their personal issues to watch mother in what was her last grand festival. It was an only five minutes but felt like hours to me. I had only turned six back then. I remember watching and gazing at every move they pulled off. It felt like a beautiful parade than a battle.

Mother won and she soon reined Sinnoh champ before Maykel came along a few months after. Then mother went missing a few years after that.

Until now.

"Found you."

I walked over to the next corner and saw father had found mother who was ready to leave the arena. Father was holding her hand tightly while mother's back was facing him. Mother's long hair was covering her expression on her face.

"Why May?" Father asked. "Why now?" mother continued to refuse to answer him. "May."

"I'm sorry." Mother finally broke her silence. "Please let me go Ash."

"For what?" Father yelled. "To leave me and your children alone again for another year?" Father pulled mother towards her which made her turn towards him. ""This isn't the May I love." He added. He wrapped his arms around mother. "Please come back to us, to me."

"I can't." Mother added as she wrapped her arms around father. "I want to but I can't." She dug her face into father's torso. "I came back only now because I knew you were going here."

"And now you're going to leave me broken hearted again?" Father asked softly. "Please don't this to us again. We need you. Your children need their mother again."

"Please don't talk like I'm going to go forever." Mother looked up at father. Father looked back at her. "I love you Ash Ketchum."

What I normally think of a disgusting scene was actually sweet this time around. Mother laid her lips onto fathers very soft, sweet and innocent. They pressed their lips a little harder before breaking their kiss up. Mother laid both of her hands on father's cheeks.

"I love you so much. That is why I have to leave you and our children. I will come back, but not now." mother moved backwards and near the door that lead outside. She pressed her back at the door and her hands behind her back, holding on the push door handle tightly. "I hope when I come back there will still be a place for me in your heart Ash." mother smiled at him. Father couldn't reply. I didn't know why he didn't. Mother pushed the door open slightly, using her back while still looking at father. "I will come back. That's a promise Ash." Mother pushed the door open and ran out. Not even looking back, not even once.

Father continued to watch her leave right in front of him. Even when mother was gone he continued to look outside. Iris with Maykel and Raichu by her side came up to him. No one said a word to one another.

"She came back Iris." Father spoke without looking at her. "She came back but only left again." father looked down onto the ground. "Why?"

Iris walked up to father and raised his head up to her. She had both her hands on his cheeks. Father raised his hand and held Iris's hand tightly.

"She came back because she still loves you." Iris spoke in an encouraging tone, even though it was obvious to me that she wasn't confident at all with her words or even liked the words that were coming out of her mouth.

"Me and her children and not important to her anymore. If we were she wouldn't leave like that so easily." Iris quickly wrapped her arms around father. I felt like going over to her and ask why she was doing such a thing but it would only blow my cover.

"Don't say such things without proof Ash!" Iris yelled. "At least the person you loved came back to you."Iris muttered underneath her breath. "Not like mine." She closed her eyes afterwards.

I looked at Iris's expression and noted the look in her eyes. They had the same look and expression like that Cilan guy. Could it be? They were once lovers? I soon looked at father. Even I had only sights of his back I knew he was crying. Crying because mother was alive and the pain of her leaving him came back again.

I knew after that day that our lives would change. Forever.

**End of chapter nine **


	10. Chapter 10

I want to write about what happened to May and where she went AND what is is doing so far. So if it gets confusing, please forgive me.

**~midnight**

**Shippings in this chapter: **Advanceshipping, Slight Negaishipping.

**Rating:** PG (K+)

* * *

**Chapter ten**

"She's alive."

That's all I've been hearing since father saw mother again. I don't even have to enter his room to hear the shock in his voice. The door was slightly open and the only sound coming out of that room was my father's voice. Nobody has really spoken to him after his encounter with mother. Not even Maykel could come in and sit by father, like he would always do when he was down. Aunty Mimi and Uncle Alex have banned me from seeing him, but that couldn't stop my curiosity to see my dad. His hurt, his in pain and we know we can help but we decided to do nothing. But when we do help him it seems to make everything worse. That's what we did at mother's funeral. I glanced over my shoulder and looked through the gap of the door and looked at father. His back was still facing the door with his hands over his face.

The way father was acting and dealing it was much worse than the day mother died.

I wanted to understand my dad. But I couldn't because I had never fallen in love with somebody outside my family. Mother told me falling in love is confusing at first but during the process of falling in love is bittersweet. Father told me he didn't know how it happened, it just did. Both such different views yet they are similar at the same time. They love each other and that what seems to matter the most.

Does father hate mother now? Now that she is alive will he go after her?

"Ashlyn." Uncle spoke to me. "I told you not to go here." He crossed his arms. I was laying my back against the wall; I was only a few steps away from the door.

"Sorry Uncle." I replied. "I can't help it. I'm worried for father."

"I understand." Uncle walked up to me and patted my head. ""I need to talk to your father about your grandfather. His leaving soon and we need to see him."

"Is grandfather a nice person?" Uncle sighed.

"I don't know. People change over time. Only time can tell once we get there." And Uncle walked into father's room right after that. I knew I had to go but I couldn't. My mind forced my body to stay. "Ash." Uncle began. "There have been sightings of father in Nimbasa city. But these were at least a week ago. If we want to speak with him, we have to leave." Father still refused to say anything. "Ash." Uncle spoke in a more firm tone of voice. "Say something."

"I can't." father spoke. "I can't speak without stuttering over my words."

"I know seeing May again like that is a shock, but we didn't come here for her. We came for father." Alex took as seat next to my father.

"I can't understand why she's doing this to me. If I'm acting like this with May's sudden appearance, I don't think I can handle seeing father again."

"That's right." Uncle paused and soon added. "You were around eight years old when you last saw father. Your twenty three now. That's a huge difference."

"Took you long enough genius." Father spoke in an annoyed sarcastic manner. Uncle laughed.

"Sorry, I'm just not as smart as you." He patted father on the back. "Anyway." Uncle spoke in a serious tone once more. "So you ready to see father?" He asked.

"I…" Father stuttered. "Yeah." Father sighed afterwards. "It's been awhile."

* * *

"Nimbasa now eh?" Iris asked. "Sure, I can take you guys there." Iris spoke in her usual cheerful manner. "I can take you in any town in Unova."

"Alright." Aunty cheered. "It saves us the confusion." We all laughed.

We all decided to walk to Nimbasa city. But first we had to go through Pinwheel forest first. Father still was in his silent state. Raichu has been by father's side since we all saw mother was alive. Whenever Iris would come to father, he would snap out of his state and smile at her, talking to her for a few seconds because dying dull again. It was like only Iris could make him look human before dying again. Mother's reappearance really has shaken all of us here.

Few minutes in and we took our first few steps into Pinwheel forest before I noticed Iris was gone. I grabbed my father's arm and held it tight. He looked down at me with confusion.

"Lyn Lyn?" father asked. "You alright?" It was the first time in a few days he had talked too much without that sadness in his voice. I looked up to him.

"Iris is missing dad." I spoke. "Do you think she went back to get something?" Father thought to himself before adding.

"Yeah." He nodded. "You want to come with me to get her?" I nodded. Father looked back at his older brother and younger sister. "Alex, Amelia!" He called. They were in front of us with Maykel skipping behind them. "Can you stay here while Ashlyn and I go get Iris? I think she might of went back to get something!" Both of them nodded as father, me and Raichu went out of the forest to get Iris back.

As soon we reached the entrance we saw Iris talking to a man, I knew who it was. It was Cilan Efflorescence. They seemed to be in a middle of an argument.

"Iris, please. I told you it was an accident." The waiter begged.

"No." Iris yelled. "It was your entire fault. Your fault Cilan!"

"Do you think I liked what happened to you, to us?" Cilan spoke in a slightly higher tone of voice, but still remained calm and formal. "I didn't like it, not one bit."

"It won't bright her back, not matter how many times you say sorry Cilan." Iris wrapped her arms around herself.

"I still love you Iris. Even you keep throwing me on the sides like this." Cilan shoved his hands into his pockets. "I know you do to." Iris looked away from Cilan.

"I don't love you no more, not what after you did."

"At least you admitted you loved me. That makes me happy Iris." Cilan faintly smiled but it quickly faded away.

"Cilan." Iris looked at the waiter. "Please, go." Cilan shook his head.

"You've been avoiding me ever since the accident. We had never had a proper closure."

"We don't need it!" She glared at her old boyfriend. "Because I don't love you no more!" by now father decided it was time to enter into their discussion before they would cause attention.

"Excuse me but I think you should both stop." Father began.

"Ash Ketchum, Elite four member of the Sinnoh region. Next in line to become Pokémon Champion. What brings you here to Unova or yet to Iris and me?" Cilan asked.

"Well at least I don't have to introduce myself." Father chuckled. "Iris is taking me and my family to Nimbasa city. I have some family issues to deal over there. I would be really happy if you didn't add yourself onto that list." I hid behind father's back. Raichu began to show sparks about to release from his yellow cheeks.

"With all due respect Ash, this has nothing to do with you. It's just Iris and me."

"You said you love her right?" Father lifted an eyebrow. "So why are you hurting her so much like this? Can't you see she is already starting to feel uncomfortable talking about your past with her?"

"I don't mean to. Ever since Iris and I have broke up because of the accident. She has been avoiding me." He gazed back at Iris. "If we both want to move on, we need closure."

"There's no need for that." Iris softly muttered.

"If she isn't ready, then don't push her." Father spoke. "Maybe you two need to talk to one another again, get to know each other again. Perhaps come with us to Nimbasa and talk everything there?"

"As much as I want to Ash, I can't." Cilan paused and soon continued. "My presents near Iris will only hurt her more. I can't risk that but still, thank you for the invitation." He bowed in front of father as a sign of thanks and respect. "But I will see you in Nimbasa Iris. Please don't try to avoid me there." And he turned away from us. Making the group number from four to three. Father turned to Iris. She had sadness and slight regret all over her face.

"Hey." Father placed his right hand on her shoulder. "What's the matter?" He asked. Iris shook her head quickly without looking at father. "I was in love once; I think I can help you. Even if it's not much." Iris raised her head as tears were running down her cheeks. More ran down before she threw her arms over my father's shoulder and continued to cry there.

I watched in silence as I saw the two of them hug each other. I watched the way they hugged each other. Iris had her arms right around father and was holding him tightly, as if my father was now an important person to her, a person she can rely on. On the other hand father was holding her softly and in a weak manner. He face was concerned for her but he also felt nervous hugging her. It was like it wasn't right for another woman to hug him right after knowing that mother was alive.

"Dad." I interrupted. "Is Iris okay?" I asked, even though I knew the answer to my own silly question. Iris pushed herself away from father and wiped her tears away as father turned to talk to me.

"She's okay now." Father patted me on the shoulder. "So shall we head to Nimbasa now?" Father turned to Iris. He held his hand out and Iris softly nodded. "Come-on, I'm sure it won't be that bad Iris." Father grinned at her. Iris faintly smiled back at father and grabbed hold of his hand. Father turned back to me and offered his other hand to me. "Don't you want to see the Ferris wheel over there Lyn Lyn?" I nodded. I accepted his hand and held it tight. "Let go!" father spoke in a cheerful manner before the three of us began to walk into Pinwheel forest.

We all walked into the forest. Uncle and Aunty who had Maykel in her arms all waved at us. We all walked through the forest.

That was when it hit me.

Like a happy family but the only problem was there was one person was the odd one out in the group.

And the odd one out, was me.

* * *

_"Big sister?" A young five year old Ashlyn asked her parents. "What's that?" Her parents both laughed. Her father picked his oldest child into his arms and showed his child her younger brother. The child's mother held her son close to her chest. Tapping him on the back softly to make him sleep a little longer. _

_The Ketchum family was in the hospital room, the room Ash's wife was staying at. The mother of two lied in her bed with her newborn in her arms, quietly sleeping away. As for her husband, Ash. He was looking after their oldest child. Sitting on a wooden chair with his daughter on his lap. _

_"I never expected another child Ash." May smiled as she ran her finger tips down her son's cheeks._

_"At least this time I can be by you side to help you raise him. I'm not going to do the same mistake I did with Ashlyn." Ash looked at his daughter who was too busy gazing at the small infant in her mother's arms._

_"Can he play with Raichu and me later on?" Ashlyn asked her mother. Her parents laughed once more. _

_"Not for a few years honey." May continue to giggle. _

_"But now that his here." Ashlyn pointed at her younger brother. "Will you not love me no more?" Ash turned his daughter to him._

_"Of course not." Ash smiled at his child. "Mommy and Daddy will always love you and your brother the same. No more, no less." _

_"And no odd one outs?" May reached out her arms to place it on her daughter's cheek. _

_"Nobody is this family will be left out. Even if I or your father are not by your side, you will never be left out."_

_ Ashlyn smiled cheerfully afterwards._

* * *

That's different now.

I can hear my whole family laughing and telling each other stories. Making funny faces or saying funny catchphrases. Everyone has some sort of smile on their faces. From giant goofy grins to the small shy ones. I on the other hand, lost in somehow in this forest or maybe even further back than that. And I really want to find it again but I'm too scared to go on my own to look for it.

As the others were talking I slowly slipped my hand away from my father's and watched them walk on a few steps ahead of me before stopping. They all turned to face me.

"Lyn Lyn?" Father asked. "What's wrong?"

"I saw an awesome bug type Pokémon over there that I really want to catch. I'll be right back!" I quickly ran into on the bushes that led off the footpath. When I was off I began to cry out loud.

I cried like I never did. I told myself I wouldn't cry about silly things like this. I didn't know where I was running and I had no interest anyway. I wanted to run away from my problems as fast as I can so I can have time to think about how I will face them. More and more leaves slapped me in the face and more wild or dead weeds tried to wrap themselves around me feet. My feet finally gave in and tripped over themselves as I landed face first onto the ground. I finally opened my eyes and saw that everything around me was dark. Trees were everywhere and the giant leaves of the trees covered the sky. I was scared, I wanted to run away but then I had to face my fear. I didn't know what to do. All I knew was to cry.

I heard footsteps behind me. I knew I should go hid but I didn't care.

I was the odd one out. The one that could never go along with the rest. The one ignored. The one that always needed help. The one that always had a different view from the others. The one that didn't like Iris and my father near each other. The one that refused from them to get any closer. The one that refused for father to forget mother. In other words.

I was different from the rest. The odd one out.

"Ashlyn." Father spoke from behind. "What on earth on you-' but I interrupted him when he heard me sniff and sob a little. "Lyn, are you crying?" He knelt down to me. "Lyn…" Father spoke under his breath. He soon picked me up and made me sit down. I continued not to look at him.

"Why dad?" I asked. "Why did you make me the odd one out?"

"Odd one out?" Father asked in confusion. There was silence between us before father added. "Ashlyn…" Father spoke in a sad manner towards me. "Please don't feel that way towards me."

"Well that's what you have been doing to me lately!" I yelled at him. "All you have been caring about is Iris!" I glared at father. I had never felt so irritated and frustrated towards my dad. "What about me dad? Why are you ignoring me?"

"I will never ignore you! I promise myself and to your mother I will never leave you again!" Father placed his hands on my shoulder and spoke to me in a higher tone of voice. "I missed out on raising you for the first five years of your life. I'm not doing that again. So don't you ever say I'm ignoring you Ashlyn." Father added.

"That's different now dad." I spoke. "You rather help a stranger than me. Why?"

"Don't you understand what I just said?" Father spoke. "You remind me of your mother. I need you Ashlyn to help me move on from her."

"But she is alive dad!" I stood onto my own two feet. "You don't need to move on now that she's is alive dad!

"Ashlyn." Father placed his hands onto my shoulders. "Your mother is different now. She isn't the women I loved back then."

"How do you know that?" I pulled myself away from father. "You just saw her once and your making up lot of silly reasons!" I clutched my fists. "Mother wouldn't just come back to us if she didn't love us, if she still didn't love you!" I looked at him intensely. "Everything I say you seem to ignore now dad. You're the one that's changed. You always told me to fight for what you believe, in what you love for! So why aren't you doing it?"

"Because I'll just lose again and again Ashlyn." Father stood up. "That's what I've been ignoring lately, not you." He took a few steps towards me but I took a few more away from him. He soon stopped. "Ashlyn please don't do this to me."

"You caused this dad!" I yelled. "You can go to Nimbasa by yourself. I'm going to look for mother! And I don't care if you follow me or not! You care more for Iris than me dad! You know it!"

I ran away from my own father with only his echoing voice to remind me of him.

* * *

I can hear them calling for me. I can even see them walk right underneath me. I can't come back now. They will just ignore me again. I know I should go back but my reasons are holding me back. I'm only a few feet over them. Sitting on a thick tree branch as they all walk past me. Even now they are ignoring me. I'm in one of the easiest places to find yet they refuse to do it. I stood up and continued to move from tree to tree carefully. Trying not to return to them.

Their voices began to fade as I made my way to an entrance. It was different to the one that led to Nimbasa I made my way down the tree but to only quickly climb up when I saw people in uniforms. Trying to steal a Pokémon from a trainer.

"Set your Pokémon free! You are only causing them harm!" The man yelled.

"Never!" the boy with an orange cap, black shorts and orange vest yelled. "My Pokémon are happy with me!"

"Lies!" the woman yelled. "It can never truly be happy with you! Now set your Pokémon free!"

"Let the boy go." A woman stated. "If you keep on yelling we will only get attention, not liberation." Both of them nodded and let the boy go.

"We will get you!" The man yelled before turning to the woman who called off the attack. The woman's face was cover by the leaves I was hiding behind. I soon saw her hand movements telling them to head back. She continued to walk to the tree I was in. I was in the total shock of my life when I saw who it was. She turned around and was going to walk the other way from me. I quickly hopped off the tree and called out their name.

"Mom!" Mother quickly turned her attention to me.

"Ashlyn!" Mother asked in confusion. "What on earth-" but I stopped her when I went to embrace her. She pushed me off her and placed her hands on my shoulders and knelt down to my height. "Why aren't you with your father?" She asked.

"His ignoring me!" I replied back. "All he cares for is that Iris girl. I'm being left out because of her."

"I'm sure it isn't like that honey." Mother spoke.

Mother looked the same from the last time I saw her. She had the sky blue dress with a darker shade of blue ribbon wrapped around her waist. She had short blue heels on with a fancy white hat with a blue ribbon on the side.

"You shouldn't be here. You will only get in trouble dear."

"I want to come with you mom!" I begged. "Father doesn't care for me anymore or at least let me spend some time with you!" I cried as I wrapped my arms around her. "I missed you so much mom!" my mother wrapped her arms around me.

"Well, just up to Nimbasa City Ashlyn." Mother spoke. "After that please promise to return to your father. He still cares for you even if his not paying as much attention as he use to." I sighed.

"Alright." I nodded as mother wiped my tears away.

"But whatever you see here, doesn't tell your father or anyone else or I will get in big trouble. Promise?" I nodded quickly. Mother stood up and offered her hand to me. She smiled at me. "Come-on lets head to Nimbasa. I miss taking care of you." I grinned at her.

"I'm so happy to have my mother back." I softly mumbled to myself before accepting to hold my mother's hand.

After that, I finally felt like I had a place to belong again.

**End of chapter ten**


	11. Chapter 11

No reviews for chapter ten? Aw, that makes me sad, i mean was it THAT boring? XD. well i hope this one is a little better. =)

**~midnight**

**Shippings in this chapter: **Slight Advanceshipping

**Rating:** PG (K+)

* * *

**Chapter eleven**

You shouldn't be here.

You should be with your father.

You will be safer there.

They don't know that.

She doesn't know that.

Nobody knows it.

Mother keeps telling me this over and over like as if she was a broken record. I came to her because all of all the words she is telling me aren't true. Father treats me differently now that Iris has come into our lives. Things were just better off when mother and father were together. Now that I know mother is alive they can come back together, so why won't they? Do they hate each other now? Do they still love each other? Why won't mother answer these questions of mine? Why is she too avoiding the same question I ask father and doing the same reaction. Why?

"Ashlyn." Mother spoke. We were walking down the hallway. I held her hand tight so I wouldn't get lost in this huge compound. "Whatever you see, hear or do. Don't tell anyone other than me." She looked down to me. "Understand?" I nodded.

The way mother looked and acted told me that whatever I got myself into was serious and I should put my game face on. But it was hard because I wasn't the serious type. I'm also laid back, relax and go with the flow. Something Aunty Mimi and mother told me I got too much from my father.

Many people dressed in light blue, grey and white walked down the same hallway we were. They looked at mother with respect while others looked at me with confusion. Mother told me to not look back at them but it was pretty hard not to. I mean how can you not look at someone looking at you? We soon reached the end of the hallway and mother entered a few keys on the keypad that was next to a solid metal door. The screen of the keypad glowed green and the door opened quickly.

Inside were seven old men dressed in really weird outfits that were quiet old fashion. There was one that really creep me out the most. There was a man with long light green hair that had a weird outfit on. On one side of his outfit was a golden eye with a purple background and on the other had a purple eye with a golden background. He had some sort of eye patch over his left eye. The whole place just creep me out. I want to leave but mother held my hand tight, showing that if I left this place it will only put me in grave danger.

"Ghetsis." Mother greeted. "Sorry for my late arrival." Mother bowed and lifted her dress slightly, like the women would greet back in the late 1800's or something. This place felt very old fashion.

"It is alright." He lifted his hand to tell me mother to stop and stand up. "You're not the last one to arrive." He looked at me briefly. "What is a child doing here?"

"She is my child Ghetsis." Mother wrapped her arms around me. "She will cause no harm."

"Your child looks more tamed than mine. You are one of us so I will allow your child's presence to be with us today." Mother nodded afterwards in a sign of thanks.

The room looked really old yet wealthy; all the old men were sitting on the side of the table as the man I disliked the most sat at the top or at the furthers end. Mother took a seat on the side of the table while I sat on her lap.

The door opened once more and a man who had some sort of fashion sense came into the room. He had a black and white cap on his head as his long light green hair reached passed his shoulders. He wore a light white long sleeve top with a black shirt underneath. He had light brown pants to finish everything off. He looked like he had been somewhere, perhaps in a battle of some sort.

"N Harmonia." Ghetsis stood up to his two feet. He slammed his hands onto the table hard. "Where the hell have you been?"

"It's none of your concern father." N lifted his cap and fixed his fringe.

"You should really stop spending time with that Hilda girl and focus in setting all Pokémon free!" He yelled. "All of us sages have been waiting for you. I can't believe that you are my son."

"What I do is something I rather not share with you father." N placed his cap back onto his head. He sat down on the far end of the table, directly opposite to his father. Mother and I were right next to him. He placed his chin on top of his hand and glared at his father as Ghetsis began to speak. Soon I caught his attention and looked at me.

"Who are you?" He asked. "Are you another sage." I shook my head.

"She is my daughter N." Mother replied for me.

"So you're another child of a sage. Poor thing." Ghetsis called out to N so he could pay more attention. I tilted my head on confusion.

"God N, please pay more attention." Ghetsis sighed.

"I don't know how talking about things such as this will save Pokémon from their trainers." He stood up onto his own two feet. "This is a waste of time."

"We can't just go out and tell people to free their Pokémon and expect them to do it. Some people are harder to convince than others." My confusion was driving me mad. I had to say something in order to get my facts straight.

"Excuse me." I raised me hand. Mother placed it down but Ghetsis told mother to let me continue. "Why do you want to set all Pokémon free from their trainers? Aren't Pokémon happy with their trainers?" Ghetsis slightly chuckled at my innocence.

"Young girl." He began. "Trainers abuse their Pokémon. Can't you see in battles? Pokémon do all the hard work and their trainers gets all the glory. They don't even acknowledge the pain of their Pokémon had to go through in order to get that award to the trainer's name. Pokémon are getting used by their trainers and when they might seem to be happy, in reality their not." Mother embraced me tighter. "Now back to topic." Ghetsis faced the other sages. I looked up to mother.

"Is that true mother?" Mother shook her head slightly. She mouthed to me the words. _"Of course not dear." _

"Now, we will do another announcement at Nimbasa City. It's a bigger town and is a main attraction to a lot of people. A lot more people will listen to us."

"Not while a member of the Sinnoh Elite four is there." I looked back and saw N was back in his seat, looked like he didn't want to leave after all.

"Say what?" Ghetsis asked. I could hear the other sages except mother and I gossiping to one another. "An elite four member from Sinnoh, what on earth is someone like that doing here in Unova?"

"Apparently a holiday with his children. I saw him when I was taking a ride in a Ferris wheel with someone. He looked distressed somehow. Not a way a Elite four member should be acting." He crossed his arms.

"So you did a take a ride with that Hilda girl or was it Hilbert this time? Anyway if we have someone like him there we won't be able to have our message across easily. We need to get him out or at least take him to us."

"Don't you dare touch a finger on him." Mother muttered. Ghetsis looked at mother.

"Oh yes, I nearly forgot. He is the reason you're here, isn't it?" Mother continued to glare at him.

"Don't you dare get me started on that topic. You know the answer to that question yourself Ghetsis." Mother pushed her chair back slightly. It seem like talking about father was the key to why mother was here.

"Well tell him to move out or I will do something horrible to him." Mother asked me to get off her as she soon stood up with her hands on top of the table.

"You know what I can do Ghetsis, don't let me remind you of that. We all know that without us Eight Sages you can't do anything. We are the ones that make you look more powerful when we all know you're pretty weak. In fact we all could simply gang up on you anytime we want, so don't you dare push one of us to our limits!" The rest of the seven sages seem to agree with mother's statement.

"You are an interesting sage May Ketchum." Ghetsis replied. "Perhaps you and your child need some time to think." He looked at N. "N, go out with them. Help them out why don't you." N stood up.

"Let's go." N told the both of us. Mother grabbed my hand and literally dragged me with her.

* * *

"Sorry for my father's actions." N entered us into a child's play room. "The way he talks to people can sometimes be very hurtful."

"It's alright." Mother took a seat on a red beanbag. N took a seat next to her on a blue one as I entered a toy box in search of toys to play with to take my mind off things. "I entered into Team Plasma knowing your father would act like that." Mother took off her blue heels.

"Well father is like that, but nothing to this extent. I mean ever since Team Rocket got into our way back in Castelia City he is more motivated to set all Pokémon free."

"Team Rocket, it brings back many memories." Mother closed her eyes. "I remember when I was ten; a group of three people would chase us everywhere we went in order to get my husband's Pikachu. They never did thank god." Mother opened her eyes again. "They always stole Pokémon from trainers, not the three people I'm talking about but the other people in their group. They are an awful and horrible group."

"And thirteen years later they are still standing strong. Imagine all the Pokémon they have taken hostage within those years, their disgusting." Mother faintly nodded. I finally pulled out a Zorua plush and embraced it and walked to mother. Mother let me sit on her lap as she untied my piggy tails and began to fix them up.

"Is that true that Pokémon are suffering?" I looked at the Zorua stuff toy in my hands. "Does that mean my Pokémon hate me?"

"I can hear your Pokémon speak the same way they do with her. You both have kind hearts so there for your Pokémon are not suffering little girl. If only more people raised your Pokémon like you and her, then the world would be a better place."

"So I can keep my Pokémon then?" N slightly smiled.

"As long you treat them right, then yes." I felt mother had finished one set of my piggy tail.

"Dear." I knew mother was referring to me. "How is your brother doing? Is he okay?"

"His okay. He has a Squirtle. He isn't scared of Pokémon anymore which is good. They're really close. Angie from the Pokémon School gave it to him as a assignment over the school holidays."

"I'm glad to hear that. I really miss him. I hope I can hold him in my arms again." Mother tied up my last piggy tail. I turned around to face her.

"You can if you come back to see him. Then father won't have to worry about Iris anymore." Mother soon looked sad.

"If only I could dear." She fixed my fringe and embraced me tight. She whispered into my ear afterwards. "I'm sorry. Sorry for everything Ashlyn."

As mother embraced me I felt like as if she was suffering. Suffering being left alone and leaving us like that on the late winter night one year ago. Leaving us to think that she is dead which caused us more pain. She wanted to leave but she can't because of father. Somehow mother's relationship with father is making mother stay her by force. I wanted to help but mother keeps stopping me in order to protect me. Maybe that's why mother is here? Is it because she needs to protect father? What kind of protection father needs? Does father know about this? I pulled away from my embrace from mother and looked into her eyes.

"Are you okay mom?" I asked. She nodded.

"Now come on. Let me show you around the place." Mother glanced back at N. "Is it alright if I skip today's meeting?"

"I'm sure father won't mind." And I held mother's hand and we both left the child's playroom.

* * *

"Stay in this room okay?" Mother told me. I nodded.

I was in one of the rooms that mother called her own. It was a place she would stay at most of the time. She told it's a place that she reflects on. I was on her bed and mother was by my side. Talking to me about how was my life and if everything was okay.

If everything was okay then I wouldn't be here.

"The team is heading to Nimbasa soon. I have to give you back to your father. I don't want you to get involved into this mess."

But I don't want to go back, not now.

"I know you feel angry at your father but I'm sure he isn't ignoring you. He just has a lot of things in his mind right now."

Like Iris you mean? I already knew that.

"Ashlyn you have to go back. You're making your father worry about you so much. He needs you."

But I don't need him. He has Iris now.

"Please don't make him pick out of you and this Iris girl. Ashlyn this isn't you."

He already has. It's obvious who he picked.

"Ashlyn your father loves you. Please stay with him when I give you back to him."

For you, mother. I will.

"Ashlyn please say something." Mother placed her hands onto my shoulders. "Ashlyn." She repeated.

"Alright." I sighed. "For you."

"And do it for your father as well. Give him another chance. Let him love you as his daughter again." I went to embrace my own mother.

"Thanks mom. I don't know what I will do without you."

Leaving mother will be hard. But I'm doing this because of her. As for father, perhaps giving him another chance to redeem himself to me won't hurt, for now anyway.

**End of chapter eleven**


	12. Chapter 12

I'm slowly getting to the middle part of this story, slowly...

**~midnight**

**Shippings in this chapter: **Slight Advanceshipping

**Rating:** PG (K+)

* * *

**Chapter twelve**

"Promise you will do this for yourself more than for me Ashlyn." Mother placed her hands on top of my shoulders. "Please." I didn't reply back and nodded. I didn't want to make any promises that I was afraid I couldn't live up to. Mother smiled. "Thank you." She replied.

And soon after that I could hear the bus stop, just at the rear end of Nimbasa. The city was at least the same size or even bigger than Castelia city. Unova's buildings really did live up to their expectations. There were many people everywhere like little Durants. It felt like the whole city was just one giant carnival that never ended or left. Mother held my hand as she grabbed my things and we both got off the bus. The town had music playing all over the place. This place had happiness written all over it.

Mother and I had a day out together before she gave me back to my father. She wanted to be my mother again after leaving us for a year. We did everything we could do on that day. We went to eat out on the street carts and eat lots of street foods like tacos and hotdogs. We also watched a few clowns balancing on one ball while doing funny faces at the same time and that same clown gave me a red balloon in a shape of a heart afterwards. Also I helped mother choose some clothes for Maykel and buy some for me. Before we both knew it, the sun began to fade behind the tall city buildings of Nimbasa.

"Oh, what a shame." Mother pouted. "We didn't have enough time to go onto the Ferris wheel." We both sighed.

"There will be a next time right mom?" I asked. Mother patted my head.

"Of course there will be. I will try to see you and your brother a few times in a year. So at least I can look after you two for a day." She knelt down to my height and redone the green bandana wrapped around my neck which originally belongs to my mother. "I'm happy to see you are wearing my scarf. It makes me happy." I smiled. I pointed to my scarf.

"As long I have this, I will never forget you mom!" I went to embrace her. Mother held my tight.

"I'm happy to hear that Ashlyn." Mother broke our embrace as mother reached out for her poke gear. "If I I'm correct, I should still have your father's number in here somewhere." Mother sweat dropped.

"There's no need for that." I turned around to see it was no other then my father, mainly known as Ash Ketchum. He was alone, no Iris, no Uncle Alex or Aunty Mimi as well. He was alone. He looked serious and maybe a little annoyed.

And suddenly the noisy and happy city of Nimbasa fell into a shade of quietness and sadness. It was as if when the city turned dark, so did the people in it as well. I was now in the city darkness of Nimbasa. Even though the lights were bright and added so much bright personality to the city, it felt like it was only an act to make the city look so happy and relaxed.

"Why did you take Ashlyn with you?" He asked.

"I didn't take Ashlyn with me. She decided to come with me." Mother explained. "And here," Mother pushed me a little forward to father. "She's yours again." Father didn't reply back. "Why, don't you want her now, is Iris more important to you now?" father looked away.

"How did you know about her?" father asked. Still refusing to look at us.

"Answer my question Ash." Mother asked. "Are you replacing this girl for your own daughter?" Father clenched his fists.

"I could never replace Iris with my own child and not one women can replace you May!" I could see father's face blush bright red, but not as bright as the city lights here. Father took a breath before adding. "Yes May, its true. I'm still crazy in love with you. No matter if I try to date another woman, you're still in my mind!" Mother covered her mouth with her hands as tears started to run down her face.

"How can you love someone like me? After all I've done to you. From lying to you about the girl you looked for, to our child and now leaving you. Why still love someone like me?" Mother now covered her crying eyes with her hands. It was as if crying in front of me was too embarrassing for her.

"Because I know you too well. You came back for me, for us more than once. I know that whatever you're doing is for us. At first I couldn't understand but now, I do. It's just…when will you come back for good is my question." I decided to answer for mother.

"Mother can't come back because she needs to protect you, from what I really don't now Dad." Dad looked me in shock and then to mother.

"Is this true May?" Mother continued to cry. Father took a few steps towards us. "May?" Father continued to make his way towards us until he had his arms wrapped around mother. "I told you I'm the one going to protect you, not the other way around."

"As much as I want to come back, I can't Ash. I can't explain why I can't come back now. But when this is all over I'll come back for you. I promise." Mother soon embrace father.

"I'll will do my best to wait for you May." Father hugged mother tighter. "So don't give up on whatever you're doing okay?" Mother nodded.

"It's been awhile since I heard something like that from you Ash." Mother rested her head on father's torso.

Soon bright colourful explosions filled the night sky; from colours ranging from bright red to deep purple. They all started simple and started to get creative. A few fireworks were in the shape of a basic red and white poke ball and some even looked like Pokémon, like a Pikachu and a Torchic. I took a few steps and let mother and father have their little moment and decided to take a seat on a bench. That was a plan until I bumped into something.

"Ouch. That hurts." A small voice called. I turned around to see it was Maykel. I guessed he must have followed father to here. I was impressed that a five year old can stalk father. "Hey, it's daddy and mommy!" Maykel rushed right pass me and ran into mother and father. They both looked shocked and surprised. Mother quickly carried Maykel into her arms and held him tight as mother asked me to join them.

We all watched as the fireworks blasted into different colours, shape and images in the night sky. As soon as the fireworks began to fade from the night sky, so did our grasp on mother.

* * *

"My darling niece! I'm so happy your back!" Aunty Mimi embrace me tightly as soon she saw we walk through the doors of the poke center. "Where did you go?"

"Choking, not breathing…" I tried to speak. Soon aunty knew what I was saying and soon dropped me to the ground. What a way to treat your only niece.

"Well I'm glad we found you again. You don't know how many of hours of sleep we all missed because of you." Uncle Alex sighed. "This is why I don't have children."

"We have somewhere important to go now that everyone is here now." Father spoke. "I mean that's the main reason we came here isn't it?" Everyone nodded except Maykel and me. I looked around for one more person and noticed they weren't here. I turned to face father.

"Where is Miss Iris?" I asked.

"She had some issues to solve on her own. We will meet up with her in a few days." Father patted me on the head. It looked like we were all going to head out until Uncle called father's name.

"Do you think it's alright to bring them with us Ash?" Father glanced over his shoulder.

"They have a right to know." Father sighed.

I watched as one by one, my family heads out the door with a hint of sadness and regret. Just what was the main reason we were here? What right was I right to see and hear? Why did they all have the look like this was going to be one painful mistake?

I had only been by my father's side for only a few hours now but my anger towards is slowly slipping away as my questions start to come back to my mind. These were the question I tried to run from but no matter what I do they always find a way back to my small mind. These questions that haunt me force me to drive to find the answers to them. I understood that returning to father and loving him again I wasn't just doing for mother but for myself as well.

These questions I have with me again need their long awaited answers.

* * *

The silence in the room began to kill all of us quietly, without a sound. The tension, the fear and the uncertainty; all felt so surreal. Nothing has been said what will happen next yet, even though I want to know so badly, something inside tells me its better off to keep my lips tightly closed.

We were in a long black limousine and the interior inside was something I never thought I could see in person. There were men dressed in black suits with giant thick black shades which are nearly covering their whole face. The silence was really taking its toll on me. Any longer I would crack, yell scream. I didn't care what would happen after that, just let someone talk to me and tell me everything will be alright.

The car soon stops; bringing the first sound into our ears. Then soon followed was the click of the car door opening. We all walked out in line like what army men would do. The building we were heading into was tall and it didn't stand out from the other buildings, it blended in perfectly. We all walked in as the men told us to go into the elevator and go to the top floor. We followed them like they were our trainers and we were their Pokémon. When the elevator doors shut and we were in was when everything started to make sense.

"This is completely stupid." My father began. "I feel like a pet begin dragged by a leash." And father crossed his arms afterwards.

"Yeah but you were set free by that leash much earlier than Amelia and me." Uncle replied.

"But that doesn't mean I was really free Alex." Father replied.

"Boys, please stop." Aunty pleaded. "Complaining about this won't fix anything." I turned to face father.

"Will everything be alright dad?" I asked. Father patted me on the head.

"I don't know Ashlyn." He spoke without looking me in the eye.

Soon the doors opened wide and we all walked out. This was the first time in my life that I father has told me he doesn't know if everything will be alright. Whenever I asked him that question he tells me that 'I have nothing to worry about' or 'Everything will be fine.' Not 'I don't know' I knew for another fact that this was a serious issue because my father called me by my real name, not Lyn Lyn like he would always call me by.

Now I began to feel scared as I held father's hand tighter as we walked down what seemed to be a never ending hallway. I was scared, I felt like I've seen this before with mother. I knew now that mother and father was hiding something from each which is causing each other not to be with one another, like hiding this secret was the only way to protect one another, but why are they protecting each other like this? I don't understand.

The 'thud' sound of the double thick metal doors threw me out of my thoughts that kept me safe. The rooms were dark but soon a flash of light entered into my eyes and showed me my horrible family past.

"What a family reunion." A tall man greeted us five.

"Shut up." Father spoke. I had never heard such a deep and serious tone from father. "Your family you know is long gone."

"I never thought I would hear anything like that from you Ash." He grinned. "Are you talking like that because I'm sitting behind this desk and you think I'm a coward because of this?"

"You can hide behind anything you want, I'll still hate you." Father replied. I began to hide behind father. I felt like a war was about to happen. Aunty placed her hand on father's shoulder and whispering words for him to relax, but I felt like that wasn't going to happen. "You lied to us. We all thought you died at sea while travelling to Unova and now I hear that you're a leader of this criminal dump!"

"Dad please stop!" I embraced father tightly, hoping that he wouldn't do anything stupid. I could feel tears running down my cheeks but I only noticed this when they had ran into father's long black leather coat.

And for one moment I felt like the war had ended.

"I have a granddaughter?" the man began to laugh but to us it felt like he was mocking us more. I never knew you could be possible to do such a thing Ash." Father stretched his left arm out. Like his arm was some sort of barricade to protect me.

"We ask the questions around here." Father replied. "Now tell me, why did you fake your death?"

"I was tired of living a life of a well known gym leader. So I started this. I steal from others in order to do things I like with them, from doing experiments on them or to selling them to the black market.

"I am so ashamed to call you my father!" my father yelled. "So damn ashamed."

I couldn't believe it. This man is my grandfather, known as the main founder and leader of Team Rocket. Never did I know I was tied into one of the worst criminal organizations this world knows.

Perhaps this is what mother was protecting father from?

What can my own grandfather do to his own son?

"I know." Grandfather stood up. "I was expecting that."

"So why?" Uncle asked this time.

"Your still children, you will never understand." he pushed himself up onto his own feet.

"A crime isn't hard to understand." Aunty spoke.

"But the reasons behind it are." Grandfather concluded.

Everything we do has a reason behind it. It is hidden behind the image we are seen of it. That image can either be good or bad, the intention behind this can be the same or completely different. That reason is what keeps that person living, believing and giving the sense of hope as well.

Now what are my reasons behind all of this? What am I truly fighting for? Is it the right thing to do in the eye of others or is it just to satisfy my selfish self?

**End of chapter twelve**


	13. Chapter 13

Am i the only one who is tried to reading new AS fics of May travelling with Ash in the Unova region? I hope not. I'm not saying its a bad idea, its just i've read so many before hand, back when Sinnoh was the most recent region. Anyway, just wanted to share that.

**~midnight**

**Shippings in this chapter: **Slight Advanceshipping

**Rating:** PG (K+)

* * *

**Chapter thirteen **

All of this happening to me.

I feel like all of this is all rushed and so…unnecessary.

Perhaps if I stayed a few days with father, I could have been more prepared to face the truth behind my family's past.

At school there have been rumors of Team Plasma and Team Rocket having some sort of rivalry against one another. They say not even god can grant peace to one another. Sometimes I can't help but wonder why the world can be so cruel to itself.

I've been here for three days now. Three horrible days that has been hard to sink in. These things, my past, how did I ever get in such a situation. Was I a bad person in my last life to be placed in such a life?

Why can't I find answers to my questions? Why do I keep getting more questions rather than answers? My head hurts.

I embrace my pillow in my room as my mind begins to unravel the confusing puzzle in my mind. Not only do I have these questions rolling in my head continuously but I'm also worrying about when Team Plasma will come over to Nimbasa and capture it. I sank my head right into the pillow. Hoping that just for a little while I could hide away from my problems. But it didn't work.

"Ashlyn?" I heard father call my name. "Dinner was ready half an hour ago. Why are you still up here?"

I refused to answer. Yet again, more questions come towards me and I have no answer to reply. Afterwards I heard father take a few steps and I felt the bed sink down a little as father took a seat next to me.

"I'm sorry I have to drag you into this." He spoke.

"It was bound to happen." I softly spoke. My tears soon crashed into the pillow and spread across the cotton material. I could feel it getting wet as my cheeks pressed against it. I felt father's warm hand brushing my hair down. He soon pulled me away from my pillow and dragged me towards me and rested my head on his chest.

"That's enough now." I looked up to my father. He smiled at my warmly but it wasn't enough to stop my tears from running down my cheeks.

"I'm afraid dad." I replied. Father looked at me in confusion.

"What from?"

"I'm afraid that if you and mother don't stop this soon, you will end up hurting one another." By now more tears were escaping my eyelids. Each drop resembled the pain, fear and sadness I felt towards this issue.

"I could never hurt your mother Ashlyn. Never."

"But what if you were forced to?" I looked into father's eyes. I could tell he had no answer to my question. Just like me and the many questions that I fear I might never have answers to.

"Even if was Ashlyn, hurting your mother will never be an option." Father spoke after a long pause. "Remember that."

* * *

Father suggested that it was best for me to talk a walk around the city, let my mind be blown away by the amazing structure that makes this city so unique. The giant Ferris Wheel, the clowns that entertains people walking on the streets, also the battles from young to old are having, ranging from one on one battles to triple, which is a new system introduced here in Unova. Father was right, I need to let my mind rest sometimes.

I couldn't help but count down the hours or even minutes until mother comes. I can't help it. Ever since I knew Team Plasma's main objective I've been edgy, on the end of my seat, just waiting for the final surprised to return me back to reality.

Then it came.

It all happened way too fast for me to comprehend.

The speech first came, then the confusion of the crowd that listened to them. Then the releasing their friends that they believed it would be 'better' for them. All of this, was it right to let them free, this is out of control, it's not making sense. I looked down at Pichu who was wrapped nicely around my arms.

"I'm not letting you go." I muttered. "Even if it kills me."

Soon I ran into an alleyway to hide myself, from what I had no idea. Perhaps it was to hide myself from everything happening to me or simply to protect myself. Now I was questioning my own actions. Soon battles broke out as grunts of Team Plasma secretly took the Pokémon that have been released from their old trainers. I couldn't believe that I was the only one noticing this. Soon one of them found me. He had this grin that was hard to look at, what was he smiling at? Was it because I'm just another fragile ten year old child that he thinks he can easily steal my Pokémon from me? I wasn't going to let that happen.

"Discharge!" I commanded Pichu. Pichu's jumped out of my arms as his pinks small rounds cheeks began to shoot tiny sparks out. "Now!"

"Chu!" Pichu released discharge in many directions. Pichu was still too young for battles and I only knew one move for him so far. I wanted him to evolve so we could train better but Pichu shows no signs to that ever happening.

Bolts of uncontrolled electricity spread all over the alleyway. Some bounced off walls at least two times before fading away and some of the bolts began to rip apart some of the walls that formed this alleyway. The grunt had his fair share of Pichu's discharge attack and ran out. Soon the walls of the alleyway began to shake like there was an earthquake and I couldn't retain my balance and fell onto my back. I returned Pichu back into his ball as soon as I found it and watched the ruble of the buildings collide onto me.

_"Don't go!" I remember calling to my father as I tugged his coat. He turned back and glanced over his shoulder, looking at me. He knelt down, patted my head and smiled. _

_"But I have too, but before I go I have to give you something." He looked into his bag and pulled out a wooden Teddiursa figurine. A huge smile quickly grew on my face. "I found this with all the trophies I won in Sinnoh when I was out travelling. I can't really remember what this was doing in that pile but I know it's something important to me back then and still is now, but I thought it's better if you have it and look after it for me." Father winked to me. "Promise you can look after this for me. Think it as a late birthday gift okay?"_

_"Okay!" I smiled._

For some odd reason, that is a memory I treasure so much. Maybe it was because he gave me a gift that really came from mother or that father went to the trouble to give me such an important item. Nobody knows this, not even father but I bring that wooden figurine everywhere I got. It's chipped in a few places because it's that old. But it's from my parents; anything from them is worth treasuring.

"Hey you okay?" I felt a voice calling to me. It was a voice I haven't heard in a while. It wasn't mothers though. My eyelids soon lifted and I could see who had called out my name. It was Miss Iris Llynn.

"What the-" But Iris interrupted by helping me sit up. "Iris? I thought father said that-"

"I did went away but I came back to say my goodbyes to your father until I was greeted by this." I looked around and saw that the alleyway I was in was nearly blocked by failing pieces of buildings. "I was going to where I heard the trouble was starting and see if I could anything to fix it until I saw your hair tie outside the ruble. I thought it wouldn't be you but something told me I should look through the ruble and see if my gut feeling was true."

"I'm really glad you did Iris." I smiled. "Or else I would be stuck here." She placed her back against the wall of ruble.

"I wonder if I would be the person I am right now if I didn't lose her." Iris began a new topic of conversation. Silence grew between ask before I asked.

"Who?"

"My daughter." She wrapped her arms around her stomach. "My child that I never got to meet." She looked at me. "Sorry if I got to make you believe your father and I were in a relationship. It was just that I lost her a few months back and it's still hard not to think about her."

"I'm so sorry!" I spoke out in a forgiving manner. "If I knew I wouldn't been so mean to you." I felt her hand gently brushing my head.

"It's alright. Your father helped me through. He told me everything happens for a reason, we might don't know why at first but we will find out eventually. And he was right." She looked towards me. "Well we better see what all the commotion is all about." I nodded. She picked herself off and dusted the dirt off her. She smiled and held her hand out to me. "Let's go." I smiled back.

"Alright."

I grabbed her hand and she pushed me onto my two feet and helped me to regain back my balance. After that we both carefully made our way out of the ruble and ran to where we heard sounds of people yelling, screaming and the sounds of battles. Grunts from Team Plasma and Rocket fought another and it felt so surreal to be in such an area. I held Iris's hand tightly so that begin lost would never become an option.

I never thought that I would rely on her like a child would with their parent. I never knew that she treated me like the daughter she never had a chance to welcome her into the world. The only time I released my grip on my hand was when we both arrived to the start of it all.

Father, Mother and their followers, followed by my confusion.

"Mom, Dad?" both turned their attention towards me. "What on earth?"

There was a platform and the seven sages were there, standing and glaring at father. Father was with Raichu and both showed signs of another breakout of a new war would commence. I had no idea if this was real or just some play, I couldn't tell.

"How dare you interrupt such an important obligation?" Ghetsis yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Obligation?" Father nearly laughed at the word. "This is not obligation, brainwashing people is never an obligation."

"You and the many people in this world are the ones brainwashed." Ghetsis continued on. "Don't you see what you are doing is wrong? Placing these creatures into tiny balls and only let them out to let them win the battle for you. Your perception of love can never be more twisted!"

"Don't ever question me perception on love!" Father yelled. It felt like he was pointing those words towards mother for some odd reason. "What do you know of it? Why are you talking about love like you known about is so well?"

"I believe we are going off topic here. We have done our job. We have no other reason to contain ourselves here any longer." Ghetsis waved his hand, telling his companions to leave us alone.

"I'm not letting you leave just like that. To leave a place like this and act like it was a good thing. You're just like him. Just like my _father._" Father yelled the words but muttered 'father' to himself; I knew he was referring to grandfather.

"Ash," Ghetsis turned around. "Do you know why your wife left you a year ago on that cold winter night and faked her death?" Mother's eyes widen but quickly hid them. "Because she came to us, to Team Plasma."

"No more Ghetsis!" Mother complained. "We have done what we came for. There is no need for-" Ghetsis raised his palm to mother, telling her to keep silent.

"Your husband; you still love one another. He has the right to know, he is the father of your children." Mother said no more. "She did all that to come to us, to protect you. Cute, if that's the right word to use." Father clenched his fists. "You see Ash, you were our main objective. You were meant to be here, standing with the rest of the sages. You're the father of our main rival and what joy it would have been to have the son of Giovanni be with us. Oh the power!" Ghetsis lifted his hands to the sky. "Power!"

"So this is my entire fault?" father muttered. "It's my entire fault that all of this is happening. The reason I had to lose May and let my heart go in all different directions."

"Ash, don't believe that!" Mother yelled. "I choose this faith; you didn't force me or anything." I soon saw Ghetsis signal his son, N to come out.

"But I'm the son of Team Rocket; you wouldn't be there right now if it wasn't for me!"

"It's alright…" Mother smiled. "This isn't your fault. Remember that Ash."

"N!" His father proclaimed. "There has been a change in plans. Come out now." N walked into our sights. "Battle Ash while we get out from here. Ghetsis walked towards mother and clipped handcuffs onto her wrists and grunts quickly came to surround mother to keep her from escaping.

I wanted to run to her aid but Iris held my hand and stopped me in my tracks. I wanted to cry in helplessness as I watched mother begin captured.

"Now don't say why I am doing this May. This was part of the plan. You signed up to this. When I told Ash the truth you will truly take his place. This is the last time you will see your love." Her grabbed his hands and pinched her cheeks. "You foolish lover."

"Get your hands off her!" Everything father would speak was now covered in anger.

"She knew this was happening to her and yet she didn't escape when she could." The leader laughed. "There were so many chances you wasted." Ghetsis released his grip.

"If I did you would go after Ash. It's a never ending cycle." Mother wanted to make a move but the grunts held her by her arms.

"Maybe." He teased. He looked at father. "See this woman here? Want her, and then come after us. If you can." He looked at his only child. "Don't you dare disappoint me…N."

"Go before I change my mind." N grab hold of his poke ball and pressed the center for it to enlarge.

They soon left with my mother. As I watched mother begin taken away I saw no struggle or resistance. Maybe it was a joke, a play, an act? No. I could tell in the way mother spoke and the look in her eyes. This was real. There was no joke about that.

"I don't have time for this shi-" but because I was hear he discontinued his sentence.

Father focused on N and he did the same. I began to pray as they began their battle. My prayer was simply…

_"Let him win .N." _

**End of chapter thirteen. **


	14. Chapter 14

Ugh, hate writing battle scenes. they require too much effort. XD

**~midnight**

**Shippings in this chapter: **None. i think.

**Rating:** PG (K+)

* * *

**Chapter fourteen**

He first released a Pokémon that I've never seen before. It had one eye and many different arrange of colours on its cylinder body and wings. I heard N call out its name, he called it Sigilyph. It looked strong and carried no expression on its face; to add any fact if it even had one. Father had Raichu on his side for defense; even if dad had a type advantage it was simply not working.

"Electro Ball Raichu!" Father yelled. He wasn't in his right mind. Father was rushing this. You can tell because his isn't thinking straight. He wants to ends this quickly and save mother. At this rate, it won't be happening today.

"Cut it in half with Air Cutter." N pointed his finger at the flying ball heading their way. He wasn't scared at how fast the ball of thunder was going. It seemed like he knew about this. Perhaps background research?

Sigilyph raised its wings and waited them to glow white before released a crescent moon shaped energy coated in neon light blue and guided them to the attack. It collided and sent a mini show of fireworks everywhere.

"And you call yourself a member of the elite four. You can't even get pass me." N mocked. I could see father getting more irritated by the second. This wasn't helping.

Electro Ball was a new move he had taught Raichu while I was gone with mother. Even though it's not up to scratch it could of them heaps of damage. Its damage would have come from the Pokémon's speed. As I looked at N he looked different. Even father did. N changed into a mocking heartless trainer and father had become an impatient irritated trainer. Father didn't reply and called out the same move. This wasn't right. This isn't him. I have to do something.

"You can fight better than that Ash!" Iris bet me to the call. "Don't use your anger to control you in this battle!" He glanced at her and soon noticed what was happening. It happened quicker than I had thought. Perhaps Iris has a special place in father's heart to make him cool down like that. But I wasn't in the mood to think into that any deeper.

"Sorry about that." Father spoke to us. "I've been letting you watch a never-ending battle back then." I wanted to say _'yes you have for the last twenty minutes.' _But that would have just ruined the moment. I just replied with a smile. "Alright, the warm up is over, Iron tail, lets go!"

"Pysbeam." N called out in response.

Soon a current of an uneven zigzag pattern masked in colours of pink, blue, purple and yellow headed towards Raichu. But because Raichu's tail was coated in iron the move simply reflected off his tail and crashed right into Sigilyph's head. It looked like it was a critical hit and one massive blow to the head and Sigilyph fainted in one hit. Raichu cheered with excitement as his yellow patches on his cheeks sparked out, intimidating N.

"Hm, finally you have bonded with your Pokémon." N pushed his cap upwards slightly. You could see his eyes more clearly now. "But still not enough." He lifted his arm up and threw his pokeball high up into the air before it spilt into two and released his next Pokémon.

"Daku." It called out.

"A Darumaka." Father spoke. "Rare to find a Pokémon like that, even if its original region is Unova." He paused before adding.

Darumaka was a very red rounded shaped Pokémon. Above its eyes it had yellow curly eyebrows and its face was orange. Three yellow ovals were on its abdomen and a curvy yellow line is on its back. Its paws are orange and have three digits each.

"Volt Tackle now!"

"Nap, Darumaka." I blinked at N few times. I couldn't believe he wanted Darumaka to fall asleep in a middle of a battle!

Raichu gained speed quickly as electricity quickly engulfed his whole body. N just watched as Raichu headed dead straight towards his Pokémon as Darumaka continued to sleep. When Raichu collided with Darumaka, it didn't move not the slightest bit.

"How?" I asked.

"When Darumaka is sleeping it cannot be moved, not matter how hard you try. It's a great defense move if you pull it off right." Iris explained. "Just like a tumbler doll."

Raichu had Torchic's spinning around his head after the attack. It looked like Raichu had just run into a thick heavy pole. Darumaka woke up and now was ready to fight.

"Fire punch." N spoke calmly. Darumaka's small hand began to glow brightly and soon was covered in flames. As Raichu just regained it balanced he soon lost it again after Darumaka punched Raichu in mid air before crashing at father's feet. Raichu couldn't recover after that.

"What power." I couldn't find any other words to describe that battle.

"And when Darumaka's flame inside of him is burning brighter it gets very strong, very quickly. This might be hard for Ash to win. N really knows about his Pokémon's attributes very well."

_"Dad. Please win. For mother's sake." _I thought. Begging that father would hear my plea.

"You did great out there buddy." Father complimented Raichu's efforts. "You get some rest while we win this battle.

"Winning won't be an option for you. You have one Pokémon left. If you lose that one, you will lose your wife."

"Let me remind you N, I'm a member of the Sinnoh elite four. The strongest out of the four; Don't ever underestimate me, even if the odds are against me." Father got one pokeball from his pockets. "Torterra let's end this!"

Torterra was quickly released from its ball. It roared its name out loud like it was responding to father's call. It shook its body like it was stretching, it's leaves rustled as he did so.

"Oh, you're giving me the advantage? How kind of you Ash." N mocked.

"Yeah, in fact I'm letting you have the first move." Father replied.

"My father's lost it." I muttered. "I'm going to be raised by one parent now." Iris patted me on the back.

"Like your father said Ashlyn, don't underestimate him."

"Uproar, go!" N commanded. "Then fire punch!"

Darumaka began to yell uncontrollably which made it hard for Torterra to move or listen to father's commands. The echoes of Darumaka's last move were still in effect which gave a huge advantage to N's Pokémon. Darumaka ran as quick as it can go with its tiny feet and made his way to Torterra. Suddenly Torterra heard father's call just in time to respond to Darumaka's fire punch. He slammed his two front feet onto the ground as his body was outlined in green. Giant thick roots covered in sharp thorns slammed right into the fire's type face and sent it flying backwards to N.

"Thank goodness you heard me Torterra." Father took a sigh of relief. "I thought we were goners back then." Father looked back at Darumaka and saw it was sleeping again. It must have fallen asleep before hitting the ground. Darumaka soon released itself from his shell and was ready for another round. Father clenched his fists. "I'm going to get nowhere at this rate. Darumaka can just keep on going asleep to avoid major damage."

"Get it fired up Ash!" Iris yelled. "If you do that Darumaka won't be able to return to Zen mode all the time!"

"That's like asking N to abuse Torterra." Father sighed to himself. "If I keep attacking Darumaka that should be enough to stop it using Zen mode."

"You are an interesting case Ash." N spoke. "But I can't let you discuss my defeat right in front of me. I find it rather rude. Now Darumaka, Fire punch!"

"Razor leaf!"

Torterra released sharp leafs that moved at high speeds at Darumaka but because of its small body it could dodge most of them. Darumaka jumped on each leaf like a staircase and kept on making his way to Torterra, either by using the leafs like stairs or purposely dropping down to the ground to dodge an attack. He still got damaged by the attack but because he was a fire type Torterra's type of attack it did very little.

At least what father said was working well. If he kept on attack Darumaka he wouldn't have time to return back to Zen mode and the fire in his body will continue to keep on burning hard. I smiled; I knew father was going to win now. Darumaka was now at Torterra's face but was going to turn back when he saw what was ahead of him.

"Hyper beam." Father smiled. "End it."

Torterra opened his mouth and a small orange orb began to grow bigger in size quickly.

"Don't stop, use Fire punch!" N yelled.

Darumaka followed his trainer's order and used the move anyway, it hit Torterra in the head but it didn't stop Torterra from using Hyper Beam. Soon a powerful straight orange and red beam smashed into Darumaka's face and pushed him back right past N's feet and right into a city building. The building broke apart and fell right onto N's fire type.

"It's over N. Now tell me where May is."

"Very well. She is at the Pokémon League. Knowing you, you won't stop until you find her." He walked towards his Pokémon. "I wonder if the elite four here would let you pass or do you have to fight them?" N laughed as he walked away with Darumaka in his arms.

"Jerk." Father spoke. I soon embraced father. He looked down at me.

"That was a great battle Dad!" I cheered. I broke the hug and grabbed Raichu's hands. "And you were awesome out there two Raichu."

"Rai rai." Raichu blushed with embarrassment. I saw Iris walk up to father and place her hand on his shoulder.

"I didn't expect any less from the member of the elite four." Iris smiled. Father placed his hand on top of Iris's.

"It was a close call, if you didn't call out to me I didn't think I could of won." Iris's cheeks soon flushed pink brightly.

"…Sure." Iris sweat dropped. "Now we better head back to the others and explain what had just happened." Father nodded.

* * *

"Like any of this couldn't get any worse, it did." Uncle Alex sighed. "So it looks like we have to head to the Unova League now." Uncle took of his hat and lay onto the bed. Uncle looked very similar to father without his hat on.

We are all in the bedroom of the pokecenter. We had just finished telling everyone about father's battle with N. Father was no where to be seen, we all had a fair idea he went to nurse joy to heal Torterra and Raichu so I decided to leave the conversation and look for him.

I could hear Uncle and Aunty and the others discussing about father's battle as I left the room. I was about to head to nurse joy and expect to see father there but I soon found him sooner than I had expected. Father was talking in a phone booth. It wasn't the video ones in the main area of the center. These phones were near the rooms of the pokecenter and had no video system. They were purely for voice chats, nothing more.

"It's been a long time hasn't it?" Father began. I could hear a little of the voice on the other side.

"It has, hasn't it?" It was Richie. One of my father's earliest friends. "What makes you call at this late in the night?"

"I guess I forgot about the times from Unova to Hoenn." Father chuckled.

"It doesn't matter. I wasn't sleeping so it's alright. So what's the problem?"

"My wife just got kidnapped." Father sighed. "I don't know what to do anymore."

"Wow." Richie began. "I wish I was there to help you Ash. Anyway don't tell me you're giving up on her now?"

"No." Father quickly replied. "It's just why this all happening to me? I don't understand. I mean everything that has happened to me. You would think that would be enough. You know falling off a cliff to save a friend and losing my memories in the process, meeting May again in Johto, finding out I had a daughter with her and things. Do you think this is karma?"

"Of course not!" Richie refused. "You're not a bad person Ash! Don't ever say that everything that has happened to you was your fault."

"…" Father had no words to reply to Richie.

"Look Ash, everything happens for a reason. You even told this to me yourself! Don't eat your words now!" When Richie heard no response he continued on. "Don't give on yourself; don't give up for your children Ash. You're stronger than this." Father took a awhile to reply.

"You always seem to have a thing with words Richie." Father smiled. "You know your right. I shouldn't be down because of all of this. Thanks Richie."

"You're welcome Ash." And after that I heard father end the call. I decided to show myself to him and stop hiding. Father was surprised to see me here.

"LynLyn?" father asked in confusion. "Did you just hear all of that?" I smiled.

"Maybe." I giggled. "Anyway Dad." I looked at him. "Welcome back." Father laughed and soon smiled back at me. He knew what I meant. And I was glad he did.


	15. Chapter 15

I feel like this chapter is so rushed. meh...

**~midnight**

**Shippings in this chapter: **Minor minor Negia.

**Rating:** PG (K+)

* * *

**Chapter fifteen **

The Unova league.

The ultimate test for trainers, no matter what region they come from.

They are heard to be the hardest out off all the regions. It is a hard name to live up to.

We were heading there. But not to fight but to save. Save mother. It felt like a show, a show that where two lovers fall in love and then later find out a deep dark secret and then one of them get kidnapped. It was always predictable. In my case, it wasn't. It was so out of character for them to do something like this. It also made no sense to me whatsoever.

We all didn't speak much when we were getting our way here. It felt like now the silence we share is the way we communicate with each other. It feels like I've forgotten to speak. Uncle Alex, Aunty Amelia, Iris, father, Maykel and me. We were all in the cart that led up the mountain. This cart was only available to Pokémon champions and Elite four members. Gym leaders could take a jeep but it had to go over the bumpy mountain roads. Battle frontier brains could take carts as well, but not many battle frontier brains come to the league. They are normally too busy versing trainers or getting some sort of lecture from Scott, whoever that guy is.

I looked down on Victory road. The road trainers have to take to get up to the league. I've remember learning back in Pokémon school that it is a grueling road that takes days to get through. You even bump into different type of trainers every hour or less.

"When do you think I will take on Victory road dad? Is ten too young?" I asked. Father took a seat beside me.

"There really isn't a right age to verse the elite four Lyn. Just when you think you're ready and your Pokémon are ready then go for it." I looked at father.

"So do you know who the elite four are here in Unova?" I asked. Father thought to himself for a moment.

"Not really." Father laughed. I glared at father.

"So how will they know and believe you that you're a member of the Sinnoh elite four?" I complained.

"I'll just talk to Alder. I remember meeting him once, when I took a little short holiday here to Unova."

"I thought you never came here before?" Aunty asked. "What secrets are you hiding from us this time?"

"Besides being the son of Team Rocket? No, nothing on that scale." Father sighed. "Anyway I came here before going to Johto; I took a little detour and met up with Alder. It was a confusing conversation because he was talking about all my achievements and I couldn't remember half of them…and I still don't."

"That's really impressive Ash." Iris complimented. Father blushed. "To meet the champion like that. I wonder if he still remembers you."

"I hope so. I mean he isn't as young as Cynthia but I'm sure he should remember me. After all that rambling when we first met." Father began to laugh. "Man, I feel so old when I talk about that stuff."

"Ash, you're only twenty three. You're not that old." Alex reminded father. "And you have two children and are part of the Sinnoh Elite Four. If you ask me, you have achieved a lot in the last ten years."

"Guess I have. But if I didn't forget my past do you think things would work our differently?"

"I think that everything that happened to you Ash happened for a good reason. I mean look what came out of it. Your one of the most respected Pokémon trainers the world has ever known." Iris spoke. Father blushed again. Father's sudden increase in flushes started to make me concern for him. Just what was he blushing at? The compliments or at Iris?

The cart soon stopped when it reached its destination. We all got off one by one. I looked at the gate. It was so intimidating. It felt like it was a huge welcome side with a touch of creepiness. Or maybe it was just me who was thinking about this because Maykel seemed to love it. Soon I saw two trainers coming out of the cave. They seemed to be glad to finally reach the end of Victory road. I heard them cheering each other on. I think I even heard their names, Hilda and Hilbert. They looked like siblings but the way they talked to one another and the ways their faces would go red, I knew they weren't. Soon they noticed me looking at them and made their way towards me.

"Something wrong?" the girl asked.

"No it's just that your Pokémon trainers and you look like you enjoyed going through Victory road like that." I replied.

"Hell no!" The girl's partner spoke. "Even though it was hard we got our Pokémon some really good training. I bet after we heal our Pokémon we can go verse Alder." He added on.

"That's if team plasma don't get in the way. I heard their everywhere. Trying to release all Pokémon from their trainers. Remember that speech he said? Full of rubbish I say." She placed her hands on her waist. "And that N guy, I swear he needs to practice flirting skills. He creeps me out every time we meet."

"Seconded." Soon father came towards me.

"Who are you talking to Lyn?"

"Some Pokémon trainers that just came out of victory road." I replied. Hilda looked at my father blankly.

"You're the man N spoke to us about." She spoke. "You're…Ash." Father nodded. "I remember in Nimbasa City, on the Ferris wheel, he talked about you and how passionate you are to your Pokémon. You know…N might be creepy but he isn't a bad guy." Hilbert placed his hand on her shoulder.

"You do know you're talking about Ash from the Sinnoh elite four right?" Hilda face went all red.

"Oh god, I didn't know, I'm sorry." Father laughed.

"It's alright. Now you better get going. The elite four are waiting for you." Both trainers nodded.

"Nice to see you and nice to see Iris again." Both trainers waved at the dragon gym leader before partings ways with us. Iris came to greet us.

"Nice to see them again." She smiled. "They are such an excited bunch." Iris looked over to father who was too busy looking at the road ahead of him. "You know, your brother is right Ash." Father looked towards Iris after she had called his name. "You're a really respected trainer because of everything that has happened to you. You're strong and I'm sure that whatever is happening to you, will benefit you in the end." Father nodded.

"Yeah. I know."

* * *

Everything looked so old and antique but at the same time new and fresh. It was so hard for me to but down into words what the place was. There were two tall huge square pillars as we entered. There were a few steps and inside were a huge statue and four corridors. Outside was a small building had either heal your Pokémon or buy items. The place was much fancier than where father works at. But I won't tell him that.

"So now what?" father asked. "Where is Alder?"

"Down there." Iris pointed at the statue in the middle of the room. "It will unlock once you have beaten the elite four.

Father sighed. "I have no time for this."

"We all don't. But if it's the only way." Uncle was soon interrupted by father's sudden uproar.

"No!" He stated. "I have no time for this and so does May! I can't make her wait any longer." Father rushed to one of the four corridors. "If I just talk to them. They will understand!" We chased after father.

When it came to things father loved. There was no way to hold him back.

When we all entered into the room it instantly had an eerie and creepy aura surrounding us. It was dark and there were books and papers all over the floor. Soon little blue flames came towards us and circled around us; each round getting more quicker than the last. We soon started to float and soon reached the top of the spiral bookshelf.

In front of us was a woman. She had a huge black ribbon wrapped around her neck with a red brooch in the middle. She had big wide glasses and had short purple hair. She had a purple mini dress with stockings and pink high heels. She was sitting on her desk under her purple standing lamp with a notebook and pen in her hand. She seemed surprise to see us all here.

"Well this would be a very interesting twist in my novel." She began. "Just who are you all?"

"Ash Ketchum. Fourth and final member of the Sinnoh Elite four." Father stated. "I need to ask you to open the statue so I can speak to Alder."

"I'm sorry." She spoke. "I can't. Even if you're an elite four member yourself. That would be breaking against the rules."

"You don't understand. Team Plasma is here. I need to warn Alder about this." Father begged.

"Team Plasma won't be able to make a move here. If they did we would know. And how did on earth is an Elite four member of Sinnoh doing all the way here?"

"Stubborn." Father muttered. Amelia jumped ahead of father.

"Let me handle this Ash." She spoke. "Go on."

"If you do beat me, I will unlock the statue, but there is another three for you to convince. I'll tell them about you. Maybe one of them might know you." The girl looked at Aunty. "By the way I am Shauntal. Master of ghost type Pokémon." Shauntal looked at father. "Go on. I have a battle to win." Uncle led us to a green spot that once we stepped on it returned us to the main building in just a few seconds.

"THESE ELITE FOUR MEMBERS ARE SO HARD-HEADED!" Father complained. He looked really annoyed with them.

"Just like you." Alex teased. Father glared at him.

"Not funny." Father grumbled. He soon turned headed towards another door.

"Please don't rush into things again." Iris complained. "You're lucky your little sister took your place. What if this one doesn't agree with you?"

"I dunno." Father spoke. I knew father was getting very annoyed for waiting for everyone and rushed into the room like last time.

And like last time we chased after father like we were chasing a lost Pokémon.

This room was more machine-looking as we stepped on a platform and it began to move. Each light we passed flashed like it was some sort of fighting ring. When we reached the top we saw a man in the middle of the ring with two spotlights circling around the ring mat. The man was chubbier than Shauntal and was more tanned as well. His hair had a mixture of brown and orange and a loose light blue vest and same went for his loose orange pants that looked too long for him to wear.

"Marshal." Father spoke underneath his breath.

"You know him?" Iris asked. Father shook his head.

"Alder talked to me about him. He said to me he values power a lot."

"Well there goes my intro." Marshal sighed. "And anyway how do you know my master?" he spoke.

"I met him a while back. I need to speak with him. This place is in huge danger." Father replied.

"Sorry buddy but that won't happen. Shauntal told me that you're an elite four member yourself. Even so, I can't let you through."

"Told you." Uncle whispered to father.

"Fine I'll take you on." Iris spoke up. "I'll make this quick" Iris held out a pokeball and pressed the button to enlarge it. She looked back and saw father smiling at her. She turned towards him and walked close to him as well. "I'll make sure I'll come back to you." She spoke. She grabbed and held his hand. "I promise."

"I know you will." Father whispered back to her. "I'll wait for you." Father smiled back and so did Iris.

"I want to repay you back for all the kindness you've given me. So let me do this." Father nodded. "Thank you." Iris spoke.

And just like that we returned to the center of the building. Right in front of the statue that was causing us so much trouble. Soon we saw a man ahead of us. His looks like some sort of creepy vampire with a gambling problem.

"So you're the one causing all the commotion around here." He sighed. "Obsessed with Alder much?"

"No. I just need to speak with him. If you hard-headed elite four's open the damn statue then none of this would happen!" father yelled.

"Gees, relax." He spoke. "I'm in no mood to battle. I just fought two trainers that look like brother and sister. And versing Ash, a member of the elite four from Sinnoh, that will take all day to win. And you and I, we are alike."

"How so?" Father asked. I could tell in the way he spoke he was still very annoyed.

"Our families. They both have a dark side in them. Do I need to say more?" Father didn't reply and first but soon came with an answer.

"My family is something not to be talked about _at all_."

"Well go into the last room. Caitlin will be waiting for you. I'm sure you know her very well Alex." Uncle covered his face with his hat. "Ha, she told me you would do something like that." Alex shoved father into the next room as Maykel and the rest tagged along behind. I could hear Grimsley mutter something before I entered into the room. "Hurry."

* * *

"Alex." She yawned. "Nice to see you again." She threw the bed covers off of her and placed on her hat.

She had radically long blond hair for her age and also very tall. I couldn't tell if she was fourteen or in her twenties. She had a pink transparent veil around her body with a pink and white dress underneath.

"What brings you here?" Catlin asked.

"My brother needs to speak with Alder. Team Plasma is coming."

"Don't be silly. If we knew they were coming we could know." Father sighed.

"I'm not going to bother explaining." Father crossed his arms and stood beside Maykel and me.

"It's nice to know that your became a elite four member after leaving the Battle frontier all of a sudden but can you put the rules aside and open the statue?"

"Hm, alright dear." I could hear father snickering in the background. I was guessing he wanted to laugh really badly. "After all we went through how can I not? You were a really good mentor and friend to me." Catlin looked under her bed and pressed a button that unlocked the statue. I could hear a click sound and hear the sound of the figurine moving. "Now hurry to Alder. He needs some help. You see he hasn't been himself for awhile. He is doubting himself as a champion." We all nodded.

The statue moved slowly. We could feel the vibration of the statue's movement underneath our feet. When the statue stopped father made no hesitation and went down the hole. We all called his name but it was no use. He already went. Uncle carried Maykel into his arms and was going to follow before I held my Uncle's arm.

"How do we know its safe Uncle?" I asked. There was a clear worried tone in my voice.

"Trust me. Trust your father. Everything will be alright."

"Alright." I replied. And soon I watched my uncle and Maykel drop into the hole.

I watched the hole and thought to myself.

_"People do crazy things when their in love. Isn't that right…father?" _


	16. Chapter 16

This chapter is barely 6 pages! argh! I'm so annoyed. It's too short! Anyway this is the second last chapter or last chapter, im still unsure. There will be no part two like in the orignal because i'm running dry of ideas for this story.

I feel this chapter is rushed. Oh yeah, Alder doesn't make a appearance in this chapter. I will explain in the following chapters.

**~midnight**

**Shippings in this chapter: **Advanceshipping.

**Rating:** PG (K+)

* * *

**Chapter sixteen**

Now how the hell did _they _get in here?

It makes _no sense at all. _

Team Rocket and Team Plasma on the same floor. What the hell?

Their everywhere likes ants. Pokemon from both sides are fighting endlessly. Trainers on both sides yelling out move after move. Just to win, win what? Freedom or imprisonment? There is no winning situation.

There was no room for all of us to continue. Uncle decided it was best for him and Maykel to go back and get Iris and Aunty and go together as one and catch up with us later. Father wanted to go alone but I didn't let go of his hand. I wasn't going to let him go alone. I couldn't lose another family member of mine, no way.

Father wanted to go alone. I could tell with the look he gave me but he knew that I stuck to my decision and I wasn't going anywhere. Father and I raced through the crowd. Raichu was using all the moves he had without hurting anyone that were in our way. But I couldn't get my mind around it. What were grandfather's men doing here? Maybe they're after mother...that doesn't make any sense!

"Hold on tighter Lyn." Father's words returned me to reality. "Were here."

I look and see Mother, Ghetsis and N. Only a few feet away from father and me as we all watched the black and white orbs placed on each pillar beside them beginning to glow. They light they created began to escape the body of the gem and formed into two different Pokémon. Even though I had very little knowledge of Unova Pokémon but I knew who these two Pokémon were.

They were Reshiram and Zekrom.

"May!" father screamed.

Mother was tied to another one of the pillars and she was also gagged with a handkerchief covering her mouth. I wanted to help but Zekrom saw father running to mother and blocked father off. Ghetsis laughed.

"I knew you would do something reckless, Ash. Or should I call you son of Giovanni? leader of Team Rocket, next in line to be the leader of Team Rocket. Dear, that isn't going to go well with your Elite Four name." Ghetsis continued to laugh.

"Shut up!" Father blurted. "What I feel for May isn't reckless!" I could see tears running down father's cheeks. I could see that mother was touched by father's words.

"And that what makes everything you do reckless. Your love blinds you from everyone around you who are nothing but your victim of your reckless love."

I could feel Zekrom fly into the sky before wrapping its giant arms around me and holding me captive. I could feel its negative energy and aura wrap itself around me. "Dad!" I yelled which caused father to turn towards me and run to my direction but Zekrom took a few steps back from father. Like it was showing he wouldn't get my back so easily. "Dad, help me!"

"Lyn!" Father cried. I saw father turn towards N and Ghetsis and clutched his fists. "Let them go, they have nothing to do with this! It's me you want!" N shook his head.

"Your love, your passion to reunite everyone that you care for caused this. Don't you know that if that everything has a price, you have to give up something to get what you want."

My vision began to go all blurry because of my presence near Zekrom. I soon felt my body stop struggling before they began to die along with my sight as my mind began to form my new reality.

_ It was an old memory. While I was here grandfather forced me to take a walk with him around his company. It was a garden, Pokémon were filled in every space I could see with Team Rocket grunts who seem to be their trainers. They were happy, which was really odd for me see. They were a criminal organisation; they steal Pokémon from other trainers and place them in cages and sell them to the black market. _

_"Ashlyn." Grandfather spoke. I held Pichu tighter when he called out my name. "I know I must seem a bad person to you." He paused and continued. "That's true, I won't hide that but I'm not that cruel." I continued not to respond. "I use to be a Pokémon trainer myself, like your father but when I started to have a family I was desperate to make my family's life better so I did this. Before I knew it I was stuck in this type of life." He turned to face me. "Everyone I hire here are trainers that were once in the same shoes as I was, and for them to see what really happens in the group they would leave as soon as they can."_

_"So you give some time to one another, so they can stay. Isn't that a little selfish?" I asked. Grandfather laughed._

_"This is their Pokémon with a few additions from the ones we steal. Even shades of black have shades of white as well. Nothing is truly bad or good. Even heroes have their bad side" _

_"So do you have a good side then grandfather?" grandfather turned away from me and sighed. _

_"Sadly, but it's too late for anyone to see it. My sins outweigh it anyway." I stood beside grandfather. _

_"Do you want...me to help you find it again?" grandfather blinked at me in confusion. _

_"Silly girl." He spoke. "You ten year olds have such wild imaginations." _

_ And he walked out of the garden and back into the main building. I looked down on Pichu. He shrugged his shoulders and I laughed. I held him out until he was my eye height and I smiled at him. He did the same and we snuggled up to one another. I continued to laugh and looked back at him._

_"Even shades of black have a mixture of white eh?" I slowly stopped myself to laugh. "I can't help but to laugh at that because I can't accept that's true." _

"Ashlyn!" Mother's voice drifted me back to reality. I soon saw mother by my side and I was in her arms. I looked around and saw father with Reshiram and fighting off Zekrom.

"What happened mom?" I asked as mother helped me to sit up on my own.

"Reshiram saw and felt the goodness in your father's heart and is now siding with him while Zekrom is staying on N's side."

"But their fighting! There's no need!" I wanted to run to father's side but mother held me back.

"Sometimes we need to fight if we want to keep on living. Father doesn't want to fight but if it will bring peace to us, then he won't stop until he gets that peace."

"You're still willing to fight for your wife after she faked her death? After all the work we did in making a medicine to make her temporarily die, you will still go through this?" Father smiled.

"Yes, because I love her, I love May and that is all the reason I need to keep on fighting for her."

Now I understood why Reshiram decided to fight by father's side. Reshiram and Zekrom symbolises yin and yang or in modern day terms; they resemble balance. One cannot exist without the other and they have nearly nothing in common. So why do they stay with one another beside the point that they need each other and they are balance. Is there something more to it?

Soon I felt a sudden outburst from mother as she pulled me away from what was an attack from Zekrom. I was in mother's arms as mother held me close to her.

"Get out of here!" I heard father scream at mother and me. "I can't let you two get involved in this!"

"No Ash!" Mother stood up onto her two feet and I followed. "As long we are with you, we will always be involved with you!"

"So it's my fault then?" I heard father muttered very softly. Soon parts of the castle's roof began to fall. Little did I know that father commanded Reshiram to use an attack at the roof for it to collapse. He looks at us as we both screamed his name. "If you're not longer with me, I know you two will be safe.

"Dad!" I yelled as I rushed to my father's side but mother pulled me away. "What are you doing?" I screamed. Tears were already running down my eyes. "Dad!" I repeated.

"Go; go with your mother Ashlyn." Father spoke without looking back at me.

"No!" I screamed. "I don't want you to die! Dad!" Mother held me closer to her. I could feel her tears running down onto my back.

"I am your father Ashlyn. Listen to me! Now go!" father looked towards mother and me. "Trust me. Everything will be fine."

Why...why do I feel a sensation to believe him? This place is collapsing. Dad won't be able to...

"Ashlyn, let's go." Mother spoke in a confident tone. But I knew it was only to make me believe her that everything was alright. "Your father will be alright. He will be with us. Knowing him, he will know a way to come back to us." Mother faintly smiled at her husband. "Right Ash?" Father smiled.

"Yeah."

So we ran. We ran and ran until my tears ran dry. I wanted to keep on crying. I wanted to run back but I just lost my ability to walk. I felt like all my sadness was heavier than gravity and pushed me onto the ground easily. I could hear the castle breaking apart and falling down into tiny pieces of rubble. Mother held my hand so tight that I couldn't escape her grasp until we reached outside. I escaped her grasp and yelled out 'dad' over and over again until I ran out of breath to keep going.

Mother held me in her arms. I knew she was crying but she continued to hide them from me. I fell to my knees and began to dig my fingers into the dirt and tried to grasp it. Mother turned me to face her and placed her hands on my cheeks.

"Ashlyn." Mother spoke. "Do you remember that story I told you about Manaphy and the sea temple?" I nodded. "Your father risked his life to save me that day. I thought he was gone but then out of nowhere he...returned to me."

"What are you trying to say mom?" I asked. Mother went to embrace me.

"Never underestimate your father Ashlyn."

I never did and I never will. It's just that even heroes don't win all the time. They lose as well and sometimes they don't have a chance to ever get back.

Now I wonder, how long can father's luck last for?

Was today its last straw?

**End of chapter sixteen **


	17. Chapter 17

Finished! Finally the arc of Mysterious Stranger is complete. I hope you enjoyed reading this series. Until next time!

**~midnight**

**Shippings in this chapter: **Advanceshipping.

**Rating:** PG (K+)

* * *

**Chapter seventeen**

His gone, his gone and there is nothing I can do.

_ I quickly ran towards the rubble and began to pick each piece with my hands to dig deeper until I found father. Just when we were all together again this had to happen. I began to feel my arms getting weaker and I just slammed the rubble instead of taking them away. I clenched my hands and felt and saw my tears crash onto the mess. I felt mother's warm embrace around me. I could tell she was weak and wanted to cry. I could just tell by the way she hugged me._

_"Sis!" I heard Maykel climbing up the pile of rubble towards mother and me. "Mommy!" He cried as he ran to mother's arms. "Daddy!" He screamed. He must of know something bad had happened to father despite his young age._

_ I was five once and even then I had known what was happening even though they were in bits and pieces. I began to find strength in me to pick up where I started and began to clean up and look for father. I saw Uncle hold me tight as I struggled to get out of his grasp. I soon gave up and just cried like I never did before._

I wished I could of done something more than cry like a little child. How pathetic of me!

_"Shh." Uncle spoke. "Stop." I looked over my shoulder._

_"But Dad is under there, he needs me!" Alex shook his head._

_"He knew what would happen to him, he knew the risks."I looked away from him as I wrapped my arms around myself while still in my uncle's arms._

_"Liar!" I screamed. "You're all lying! He will come back! I know!"_

I was determine not to lose hope that father was gone. Like I did with mother, not once did I fall to logic and say she was dead. Look now, she is with me and alive. I believe father is the same.

_ Days had passed since father's disappearance and we continued to stay at the area. The pokecenters were no good place since the media who are there and mother wasn't use to such huge crowds of media people. We stayed at Iris's place in her small Dragon Village. Her and Cilan had got along and forgive each other. _

_ Iris told me once that she broke up with him because he was responsible for losing their first child by a simple accident. She lost her footing and fell down some stairs. She was so depressed losing her child that she blamed Cilan for everything. They got along that their dating again and rumours has it that Iris is pregnant again but mother told me not to believe false things. _

_"May, please don't give the child false hope." I heard aunty spoken to mother from outside my room. I got out of my bed and crawled to the door and placed my ear on the door. _

_"Hope is never wrong and you shouldn't be treating it like it is." Mother spoke. "When I was missing Ash and Ashlyn were the only ones that didn't give up on me, so why shouldn't I do the same?" _

_"You circumstance was...different." aunty spoke. _

_"I don't we should give up just like that." I heard Iris's voice enter into the conversation. "I gave up many times but it was Ash that taught me not to. We have no reason to backtrack from those words." _

_ And I couldn't agree more. Father wasn't gone. I believe he will come back soon. I'm sure._

Was listening to their conversation just making me avoid the truth that father was really gone? No, I never doubt something like this!

_"Pika?" I heard my Pikachu call my name as I tried to go back to sleep. "Pika..." he rubbed his head into the back on my neck. I sighed and turned around to see him._

_ Three months father has been gone. During that time I focused on my training so one day I could become a pokemon elite four member just like him so the world will never forget him. I patted my Pikachu on his head and he smiled. Pichu evolved quickly after a few training sessions but his doesn't show any signs to evolve into a Raichu anytime soon. If he did I would probably get it confused with fathers. _

_"Good morning." Soon I saw Raichu enter into the room to see if I was awake. _

_ After the incident we saw Raichu come out of the rubble. He was really weak and his pulse was weak, so weak you thought he was dead at one point. Ever since father went missing Raichu refused to have any battles and instead helped mother with the house chores. Mother said he is a good replacement to Mr. Mimey. Grandmother's pokemon who never had any interest in battles but rather help around the house. Sadly he was too old and moved on, if you know what I mean. _

_ I sat up and yawned. I stretched my arms in the air and looked at my Pikachu for a few seconds before looking at Raichu before face palming myself back onto my pillow. I could hear my little electric mouse whisper to Raichu a few words in their language. I really didn't care what they were talking about as long I could go back to sleep. _

_ But that idea was interrupted when Raichu used thunderbolt; my personalised alarm clock. _

_"I'm up!" I spoke before falling out of bed. _

_ I soon heard heavy footsteps coming from the hallway and coming to my room. I rose to my feet quickly and rushed to my door. First I thought it was Uncle but that changed when I reached to the entrance of my door. _

_"Daddy Drew!" I called out. I ran to embrace him. He picked me up and swirled me around like he use to do when I was younger. He soon put me back on the ground. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" I asked._

_"I wanted to surprise you and Maykel." He smiled. "I heard you're going to graduate from Pokemon School so I had to come." He pinched me on my cheek to tease me. "You still have very chubby cheeks." He grinned. I pouted. _

_"No I don't." I complained. I soon saw mother at the end of the hallway with her hair tied back, a wooden spoon in her right hand with a red apron on her saying 'No.1 Top Coordinator.' She gave us a look that all mothers give if they want you. Daddy Drew and I made our way to mother. _

_"So I see you're finally awake." Mother teased. "So Drew." Mother spoke. "How long are you planning to stay here in Pallet?" _

_"Maybe a week or less. I just took a break from training after the Sinnoh Grand Festival." I looked at Drew._

_"Did you win Daddy?" I asked in excitement. He shook his head._

_"Not this time. When it comes to coordinating your mother was always better than me." Soon mother hit Drew on the head with her wooden spoon. "Hey!"_

_"Don't talk like that. You defeated me plenty of times. You were always the better one." _

_"If I was ten years younger I would agree with that with a cocky attitude." He laughed. "Well now Miss Ashlyn Ketchum, you better get ready." Drew spoke to me._

_"Ready for what?" I asked in confusion. Mother and Drew laughed. Soon they stopped and Drew added. "Ten year olds." He giggled. He patted me on the head. "Your graduation, remember?" I began to panic and race into my room. "Hey, where are you going?"_

_"Have to write a few things first!" I said before rushing to my diary. Before I closed the door I hear Daddy Drew saying that I panic just like my mother. _

And that is the end. The few little things I wanted to write just got bigger and bigger to the fact I don't have much time to eat. I dressed into my casual outfit and raced outside of my room. Mother, Maykel and Drew were in the living room and clapped as I twirled around like a little princess. Mother went to me and fixed up my hair and fixed my fringe. I could tell she was really happy that I was going to graduate but sad that I would have to leave home soon.

"After this you're going to travel all on your own. It's going to be so lonely without my cheerful little daughter." She patted my cheeks softly. I placed my hand on my mother's hand.

"I'll come back to visit. I promise to stay really long before leaving again." Mother embraced me.

"Just come back when you can. That is all I ask." Mother looked at me and then the clock. "Now let's go. I have a surprise outside for you." Mother held my hand and walked me to the door. Drew and Maykel walked to the door smiling. Even mother couldn't help but smile.

What on earth was happening? They look like it was my eighteenth and I was getting a car or something.

Mother opened the door and I walked out with them tagging along. I looked around but there was nothing to be found. I turned to face mother with my hands on my waist.

"What joke are you guys pulling on my now?" I spoke in an irritated manner.

Mother pointed up towards the sky and I looked up and saw a white object in the sky. It was circling us before making its way down in front of me. The person had a mask on. He was riding a Reshiram which was a big clue to tell me who it was. He took of his mask and warmly smiled at me.

"Missed me?" He asked cheekily.

"Of course!" I had tears of joy running down my face as I went to embrace my father. "Where have you been?" Father looked over at mother.

"Recovering. Three months of plain recovering. Alder found me in the forest, I must have walked out the building before it collapsed and he told me my injuries were really really bad."

"You can't even remember how you escaped? Classic, Ash." Drew added. Father looked at daddy Drew and waved.

"Hey there!" He smiled. "Long time no see." Drew flicked his hair.

"Too long." He soon looked at his watch. "You better get going Ashlyn or you will be late to your graduation." Father smiled at me.

"Want to take a ride on Reshiram?" I nodded in excitement and climbed aboard.

"We'll catch up with you." Mother spoke. "I have to wait for Amelia and Alex to come back." Father and I nodded.

I joined with father and waved our goodbyes as we both headed to the skies. I held onto father tight as we fly through clouds. I looked down and noticed how small the houses and people were from up above.

"Dad?" I asked. Dad glanced over his shoulder after I called his name. "Can you promise me something?"

"Sure."

"Can you promise you and mother not to do anything stupid ever again?" I heard father laugh.

"Promise." He looked at me and smiled. "Promise."

And we continued to fly in the skies with giant smiles on our faces.

**End**


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